You wrote:
“...but they aren’t drinking alcohol just for the taste, as is evidenced by the relatively poor sales of non-alcoholic beer and wine.”
Who’s they? I drink both beer and wine and I do it purely for the taste. I’ve never been drunk in my life.
“Your dichotomy is false.”
No, actually it isn’t.
What else will you say to try and excuse drug use? Is it to excuse your own?
Alcohol affects you even before you're "drunk." You know that, I know that, everyone knows that. So, yes, your dichotomy is false.
Is it to excuse your own?
I'm quite comfortable with my drug use. I can even acknowledge that I enjoy the warm pleasant feeling I feel after a glass of Laphroaig or a couple bottles of Ara Bier from De Dolle.
Funny that you can't.