I'm thoroughly thankful alcohol exists. Given how unsuccessfully I used to process a given week or month, I'm lucky I found at least some temporary comfort in booze. Taken to the next level, were it not for alcoholism quite frankly threatening to kill me, I doubt I'd ever looked or if I would have been willing to try the type of spiritual living that I do now.
Looked at that way, alcohol and alcoholism were among the best and most positively influential teachers I've ever had.
And lastly, just because I had very definite problems around booze, that in no way means there's anything wrong with alcohol. Why should the majority of the population who aren't alcoholic give up something just to make me happy, yanno? Like I said though, my problem wasn't alcohol - it was/is alcoholism. ........ISM.