Wine and Psychological Health

The New York Times seems to have discovered the value of community. They have been in the forefront of the new prohibition, repeatedly reporting without pushback or context, the misleading claims from public health institutions that any degree of wine consumption is a threat to health. But last week’s article by Genia Bellafante entitled “What Else Do We Lose When People Give Up Booze” pushes in a welcome new direction. The article details the devastating effect of declining alcohol consumption on local bars and other venues where people gather: Employment metrics are just part of a calculus that counts consequences to ecosystems that are dependent on the habits that have fueled human fellowship for most of recorded time. From the birth of the public house in the 16th century to the revolution for gay rights, which began at the Stonewall Inn, alcohol has shaped the social politics of urban life. In 2000, sociologist Robert Putnam published Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of…