The problem is, alcohol, in small doeses is healthy, binge drinking is bad.

You need salt, eating too much salt is bad.

Water is healthy, drinking too much water, you can get drunk, but also run a risk of drowning.

You can make the same argument for nearly everything that sustains us and keeps us healthy. In small doses, wine can increase resistance to some cancers. In high doses, it will kill.

The big difference between drinking and smoking is that drinking only affects your health, smoking near other people affects their health negatively and they have no say in the matter. If you are drinking a beer in the corner, somebody drinking a glass of water on the next table won't be affected; unless you keep standing up and forcing it down their throat.

As somebody who suffers from asthma, which is triggered by cigarette smoke, it makes it very difficult to visit a town centre, at least I can go into pubs and restaurants again. If I had an alcohol allergy, I could sit at the same table as somebody drinking wine and it wouldn't affect me, unless I kissed them.

The Daily mail has been relying on the fact for years.