I was around 18 years old when I had my first alcoholic drink. It was freshly tapped palm wine. You could drink gallons of it without wanting to stop, at least until the alcohol kicked in and you suddenly realized you were in trouble. Fresh palm wine is naturally sweet because of its high sugar content. However, beyond the first day after tapping, fermentation begins to take over. The sugar gradually converts into alcohol and acid, which is why second-day palm wine is usually less sweet and much stronger than freshly tapped palm wine.
The feeling of getting drunk for the first time was strangely exhilarating. Drinking something that sweet and ending up with such an unusual sensation felt like an experience I could easily get used to. At the time, I genuinely thought all alcoholic drinks were as enjoyable as palm wine. That illusion disappeared the day I tasted beer for the first time.
It tasted terrible.
I remember asking myself repeatedly, “How do people actually enjoy this stuff?”
At that stage, I was a fresh university student, and peer pressure was everywhere. Almost everyone wanted to appear “grown,” and drinking alcohol was somehow tied to social acceptance and maturity. So, like many young people, I pretended to enjoy it too. But deep down, I never really understood the appeal. Eventually, I completely lost interest in alcohol, especially after learning more about its harmful effects and realizing that many alcoholic drinks did not even taste good enough to justify the risks attached to them.
Up till today, I still wonder what real benefits people derive from drinking alcohol beyond temporary intoxication and the brief suspension of clear reasoning. Some people often argue that alcohol has medical benefits. They mention things like reduced blood clot formation, increased HDL cholesterol, and lower risks of ischemic heart disease. These claims are repeated so often that many people accept them without question. However, a closer examination of most of these studies shows that the evidence is far from conclusive.
What is far more established are the dangers associated with alcohol consumption.
There is no universally accepted, proven medical benefit that requires people to consume alcohol. On the other hand, there are countless medically established health problems linked to alcohol use. Alcohol consumption has been associated with liver diseases, hypertension, heart complications, pancreatitis, weakened immunity, and several mental health disorders. It is also linked to increased risks of cancers such as liver, breast, throat, and colorectal cancer. Excessive alcohol use can damage the brain, impair judgment, and lead to addiction. During pregnancy, alcohol can even interfere with fetal development and cause lifelong disabilities in children.
Despite all these well-documented dangers, the alcoholic beverage industry remains one of the most profitable industries in the world. Reports estimate the global alcohol market to be worth between $1.6 trillion and $1.8 trillion, with projections suggesting it could exceed $1.86 trillion before the end of the decade. Whenever I come across figures like these, I cannot help but ask myself one question: why?
Why does humanity continue to normalize and celebrate something that contributes to so many preventable illnesses and deaths?
What makes it even more ironic is that many alcoholic drink containers and advertisements boldly carry the phrase “Drink Responsibly.” It sounds similar to the warnings printed on cigarette packs. Yet society still allows these industries to thrive because they generate enormous profits. Sometimes, it genuinely feels as though humanity has collectively decided that the suffering of millions is an acceptable price to pay for the financial gain of a few powerful corporations.
Perhaps that is the part I struggle to understand the most.