The other day I went to a local bar to meet a few friends to discuss a possible business venture. After spending about four hours at the bar I went home.  When I got home something was bothering me.  I started thinking about alcoholism and about people who spend a great deal of time in bars.  For instance, since I hardly go to the local bar, I happened to see a few old friends that I hadn’t seen in quite a few years.  So while my friends and I were trying to discuss business, a few of these old friends came to where I was and started asking me what I have been doing and what’s going on in my life. While I found these conversations somewhat enjoyable I couldn’t help but notice that these old friends were clearly under the influence of alcohol.  I could tell by their actions and by the way they slurred their words that they had been drinking for quite a while.  When I got home I wondered how often these old friends drink to an excess and I remember asking myself the following question:  what’s so special about excessive and abusive drinking?  Since I am a non-drinker, I could not come up with a good answer to my question.