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Excessive consumption of alcohol has been recog-nized as affecting various aspects of cardiac and circulatory function. Alcohol is considered the most abused “drug” in the United States and the Western world, especially among teenagers. The cardiovascular effects of ethanol, recognized more than a century ago, were inevitably described as being deleterious to health. In the last 10 years, however, cardiologists and specialists in preventive medicine have suggested that moderate daily alcohol intake may actually produce beneficial effects on the coronary circulation. This is currently a matter of controversy and has provoked spirited discussion among professionals and laypersons alike. Indeed, a considerable amount of significant new information has been accumulating in this field, both in animals and in humans. Although the effects of alcohol on coronary, portal, and cerebral circulation have been extensively …