Final answer:
The preferred drug of choice over the last 7,000 years is (B) alcohol, due to its long-standing historical use. While both cocaine and heroin are significant problems today, they do not have the extensive historical consumption that alcohol does.
Step-by-step explanation:
The drug that has been the preferred choice for the last 7,000 years is Alcohol. While substances like cocaine, heroin, and various prescription pain relievers have been significant issues in contemporary times, none have the long historical use as alcohol does. Cocaine was originally used as a local anesthetic and became known for its psychoactive properties, leading to widespread abuse and addiction.
Heroin, derived from opium, is a major opioid drug of abuse, with methods of consumption like snorting, smoking, or intravenous injection. After chronic use of drugs such as cocaine and heroin, individuals often develop a physical and psychological dependence, exhibiting withdrawal symptoms upon cessation and may require treatments like methadone for heroin addiction.