For centuries, people drank beer and wine—often diluted with water—with every meal. Whether young or old, diluted alcohol was the safest drink in an era when people knew nothing about bacteria and often drank their water from the same sources where they defecated.
Until 1956, French elementary school students were even served wine diluted with water; it wasn’t until 1981 that alcohol was banned from school cafeterias. In other words: until just a few decades ago, a large portion of the population was more or less drunk.
