[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

While I'm not a huge drinker, I've been drunk a few times in my life. It can have the effect of making you forget your troubles for a time. If you can drink enough to get buzzed without getting drunk, it can be a nice feeling. For me the crappiness outweighs the benefits. I'd rather smoke weed. Ha.

In short, I wouldn't say you are missing anything. But I also don't have issue with people who drink unless it gets into alcoholism territory. Some people take it too far. And expecially on college campuses the results can be really bleak...lots of date rapes and assaults happen when people have more booze than sense.

As to the chemical/scientific stuff...I'm not qualified to comment...or maybe I've just lost the braincells that knew about it.