Oh - and regarding the portrayal of alcohol as harmless in popular media and society:
Maybe you feel frustrated by the rosy lens view of alcohol, it would help to look up some statistics on alcoholism in Eastern Europe and Russia. Not so glamorous.
Or look up the cost of alcohol abuse in the US from lost productivity, emergency room visits, car accidents, crime, etc, etc. I know it's not the most exciting way to get a balanced view on it. But at least you can prove to yourself that you aren't the only one who sees the negative sides of alcohol.