Is the optimal % of drinkers in society 0? Probably not. Can it stand to be a lot less than it currently is? Absolutely. People are not lonlier because they don't drink as much, there are just so many confounding variables there that every time I see one of these articles I feel like it's just a thinly veiled ad for the alcohol industry. Giving up alcohol, for probably 90%+ of the population, is unabashedly a good and healthy choice. I know its anecdotal, but I've seen so many poor decisions made while under the influence, life altering decisions sometimes, that I know I'm not gonna drink another drop.