Alcohol is one of the most freely available drugs in society. It's one of the most popular, too. While it seems that the range of newly marketed and smartly packaged non-alcoholic drinks increases, a new wave of alcoholic drinks aimed at younger people has appeared.

The first recorded case of the production of alcohol comes from Egyptian records of 3,500BC, so it appears that drinking alcohol is as old as civilization itself. Traditionally booze has played a central role in cultural and religious events, and it's this ritualism that carries through to the Friday night drinking session at your local pub: bearing as it does a striking similarity to the Bacchanalian drinking rites of the Ancient World.

Many of us enjoy a drink. However, the devastating effects of alcoholism (as in actual dependence on alcohol as distinct from drinking socially or even regularly) take over the lives of the alcoholics themselves, and their friends and family.

There is hope though. The Centre for Recovery and Alcoholics Anonymous are two organisations who help everybody affected by alcoholism.

So, what are your views on alcohol?

• At what age should you allow your child to have his or her first drink?
• At what age should it be legal to buy alcohol?
• Are alcopops the drinks industry's way of targeting young people?
• Should the legal limit for driving be zero?
• Should British pub opening hours be extended to match our European neighbours?
• When does social drinking become a problem?
• What should you do if you think a friend is drinking too heavily?