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The subpopulation that uses alcohol to deal with life stress likely skews male and more conservative.

I recently had a conversation with late '20s guy from a small town in Illinois who said guys in his town at any point in time were either working, hunting or drunk. He felt the need to get out of there.

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Guys in his town were either working, pursuing a hobby, or socialising?

Being drunk during all of your free time is socializing?

That account is only the perspective of somebody who obviously didn't feel included and left the town. I bet people who like living in that town would describe it differently.

What else do we really know? For all we know, the guy who left was a teetotaler and would characterize any social gathering with a few beers present as "everybody getting drunk."

I had this conversation with friends. I wondered if they were snorting cocaine because it was fun or if it was a medication to get through the stress of life.

Drinking is the hobby, shooting up the forest with friends is the socializing!

I live in Iowa. I know you’re being downvoted, but you’re not wrong at all here. This accurately describes the hobbies of many people I personally know.

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