Alcohol: Socially accepted by most, but not for people under 21. Some underage drinking is accepted when done with family members and limited to small amounts of wine and beer. Binge drinking is common between the ages of 16 and 25, but becomes less popular as one ages. Alcoholism of all ages is less accepted by the general public, but sometimes romanticized in various forms of art, unfortunately. Newer generations are drinking significantly less due to a lack of social settings where alcohol is present. Drinking and driving is looked down on, but still all too common. Drinking and driving deaths decreased significantly after the drinking age was raised to 21. Drinking and driving remains a major issue in the US because we don't have reliable public transit in most places. All states raised the drinking age to 21 because it became a requirement for certain types of federal funding. Common drinks include beer, wine, and liquor. Microbreweries grew in popularity in the 21st century. Wine is drunk by many, but generally more of a middle-class-and-up type of drink. Beer is drunk by everyone. Liquor really depends on the individual, but there are microcultures of people who are really into specific spirits like Whiskey.

Cigarettes: We have seen a significant decline in cigarette use in the 21st century. It is primarily only lower-income populations who smoke now. However, we have seen a significant increase in vaping nicotine, which is not great. Adding lots of sweet flavors has attracted lots of teenagers to get addicted to vaping. There is no longer smoking indoors, with the exception of casinos in Nevada. Overall, it is viewed very negatively now, especially if you have children or are around children.

Drugs: Really depends on the type of drugs. Generally, most illegal drugs are looked down on, but naturally, drugs that poor people use are considered more problematic than drugs that rich people use (meth vs anti-anxiety medications). Pill popping has become a major issue in many parts of the US due to the ease of getting it prescribed and unethical doctors. Pills can be uppers for ADHD, downers for pain (opiates), anti-anxiety medications, or anything in between. Most of the time, people are prescribed these for legitimate medical reasons, but there are still lots of ways people abuse them or sell them for money. Lots of people become pill poppers and hide it from others due to shame. People generally don't get help if they can stay a "functional addict," which is a myth addicts tell themselves until things fall off the rails. Weed/pot/marijuana is a category of its own. Some places have legalized it for medical or recreational uses, and others still treat it like Heroin and put people in jail for absurd amounts of time. Generally, not acceptable to smoke pot in public, but less controversial when at concerts or other social events. Driving while high (on pot or pills) has become less socially acceptable over time, but it can be difficult to enforce. Too many people mix alcohol with strong medications, greatly impairing their driving ability (yet they still drive due to a lack of public transit).