I think that the disconnect between eating and drinking is really a cultural thing.
I'm from Wisconsin, and I now live in Scotland. Two places notorious for their 'binge drinking.' However, in my opinion, and based on my own observations, I've found the drinking culture in Scotland much more obnoxious than Wisconsin, and I think the role of food plays a big part in that difference.
As an example, in WI, if the family is getting together for a holiday or special occasion, there will be quite a bit of alcohol--beer, obviously, but also a lot of brandy and other hard liquor, and wine. But there's also a buffet. Everyone brings something, and most flat surfaces in the kitchen are covered with stuff to eat, which people graze throughout the day.
When there have been family functions here, with my husband's family, there's been just as much alcohol (though more liquor & wine than beer), but no food. Someone might put out a plate of rolls at some point, if they're making tea or coffee, but there's nowhere near the availability of stuff to snack on. And even when it's available (i.e. when I had Thanksgiving dinner here last year), people mostly just look at it and seem a bit puzzled.
The result is that, while people at home can get plenty tipsy over the course of a day, I've never seen them end up falling down/incoherently drunk, as I have here. They probably consume the same amount of alcohol, but it's spread out over a longer period, and there's something of a buffer to keep it from hitting them so hard, all at once.
So, personally, I think we should all start demanding more bar snacks. For the good of society! Won't someone please think of the children, and bring out more buffalo wings?! And a blooming onion!!
