Human Nature? Odd or just Bizarre?

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I've heard that drinking alcohol in very minor amounts daily is actually beneficial to your body, especially your liver.

I've read a few studies and there seems to be no consensus as to why this is. But did you know that a survey on the effects of alcohol actually showed that heavy drinkers had a 10% lower mortality rate than abstainers? The article theorized that it was the stress-reducing quality of alcohol and the fact that it is usually drunk in social situations (which are actually vital to physical and mental well-being) that caused it. Moderate drinkers (1-2 drinks daily) lived on average the longest. I don't think it has anything to do with the liver or the heart though, since alcohol is poisonous. The body produces pure ethanol periodically on its own but these amounts are so low they don't even appear on a breathalyzer, so although alcohol is not a foreign substance it is harmful and even moderate doses are relatively high. But almost all things are harmful (even exercise) and the thing that really determines the lethality more than anything is the period of rest between indulgences (plus the dosage).

EDIT: Talking about alcohol is fun and all, but this really isn't the point of this thread. I think if we want to talk about the effects of drugs or alcohol on the body or just to talk about different types of drinks we should make a thread about it.