Don N. Your drinking habits are your business and yours alone. As long as you are not a public drunk causing a disturbance and/or drinking and driving, you can drink as much or as little as you want to. Whether you drink three to five beers or more every day, or you are a complete teetotaler, that is your business provided you are not affecting the lives of others.

My personal opinion, drinking in moderation can be good for your social life and for your life and general. However, going on the occasional bender every now and then has its merits too. If you drink and you're ok with your drinking (i.e. it is under control as it should be) and others don't have a problem with it, then that is your business. But, if you're drinking is out of control and ruining the lives of loved ones and others, you have to do something about your problem. If you abstain from drink completely and choose not to drink for whatever reason, true friends will respect that and not force you either way. Actually I think smoking (a habit of which I'm not proud to say that I am guilty of) is much worse than drinking in moderation.