Small amounts of alcohol can raise your HDL or "good" cholesterol" levels. Not to mention that moderate drinkers are far more likely to exercise than people who don't drink, and they may even get more healthy effects from it, as well as prevent or make it less likely for someone to get kidney stones. Furthermore, alcohol makes you more social, which decreases the risk of mental health illnesses, as well as helps the brain due to the fact that it decreases the risk of alzheimer's.