Alcohol has been used by humans since the beginning of time. Why do we still ingest what is a poison?
Edward Slingerland addressed this question in his book "Drunk. How we sipped, danced, and stumbled our way to civilization."
Edward is the Professor of Philosophy at the University of British Columbia and his book looks at the alcohol from an evolutionary and religious viewpoint.
His conclusion is that alcohol has been essential in helping humans be creative and build civilizations.