Alcohol withdrawals can kill (they lower the seizure threshold) and wreaks social havoc on families. Alcohol abuse kills more people than any other recreational drug out there. Careful with that comparison...

In the most general sense, I'd have to agree in that they both psychoactive substances. It kinda ends there though. Just like both birds and dogs can be kept as pets.

But in terms of health costs, benefits, dangers, I'd put it on a similar level as cannabis. The actual effects closer resemble classical dopaminergic stimulants though, much more so than was believed for a long time.