user5838: Following are the 3 unrighteous bodily conducts out of 10 unwholesome actions described in suttas such as Saleyyaka Sutta.

Killing living beings
Stealing
Sexual misconduct

I would like to know the reason why the intake of intoxicants, liquor and drugs is not listed as one of unwholesome actions.

user-1: Buddha told Ven Sariputta that he would not answer to any questions or teach anything that might promote heedlessness.  So here is strictly my opinion.  Perhaps there is threshold of consuming alcohol or intoxicants??  For example, if one uses cooking wine to prepare a dish for its aroma, would that consider breaking a precept?  What about fermented rice for desert (yeast+rice+sugar)?  It has slight alcohol in it but not enough to alter mind.  Again, my opinion, there could be a possible threshold of consuming intoxicant but mentioning it would promote heedlessness.  It could possibly be that there is some qualifier in the 5th precept that is best not to mention?  Best not to consume it at all.  

user295: 
Saleyyaka Sutta mention 10 without intake of intoxicants
Veludvāreyya Sutta mention 7 without intake of intoxicants
Sigal’ovada Sutta mention 4 without intake of intoxicants (this is mentioned separately though)

Once I heard that in early Indian kings use to take a drink in the evening. The Buddha was careful not to introduce this precept in early day of his teaching until most of the Kings, ministers and tycoons where his disciples. Later when this happened this was introduced. If this was prematurely introduced many who were taking habitual or customary drinks might not have been inclined to listen to the Dhamma. This is just a theory to explain the lack intake of intoxicants in some Suttas some which were early days of the dispensation.

user2282: In a way, the 10 unwholesome actions already take into account the intaking of intoxicants in the sense that intoxicant is a condition for the manifestation of any one of those 10 unwholesome actions. When one is drunk, it could serve as the condition that leads to killing, stealing, raping, etc.. OR it could just cause him to throw up and then pass out. In other words the 10 unwholesome actions are listed because they're all manifested explicit actions while taking intoxicants is a to-be-manifested action..

5838: <p>Following are the 3 unrighteous bodily conducts out of <a href="http://www.dhammawiki.com/index.php?title=10_unwholesome_actions" rel="nofollow">10 unwholesome</a> actions described in suttas such as <a href="https://suttacentral.net/en/mn41" rel="nofollow">Saleyyaka Sutta</a>.</p>

<ol>
<li>Killing living beings</li>
<li>Stealing</li>
<li>Sexual misconduct</li>
</ol>

<p>I would like to know the reason why the intake of intoxicants, liquor and drugs is not listed as one of unwholesome actions.</p>
 -1: <p>Buddha told Ven Sariputta that he would not answer to any questions or teach anything that might promote heedlessness.  So here is strictly my opinion.  Perhaps there is threshold of consuming alcohol or intoxicants??  For example, if one uses cooking wine to prepare a dish for its aroma, would that consider breaking a precept?  What about fermented rice for desert (yeast+rice+sugar)?  It has slight alcohol in it but not enough to alter mind.  Again, my opinion, there could be a possible threshold of consuming intoxicant but mentioning it would promote heedlessness.  It could possibly be that there is some qualifier in the 5th precept that is best not to mention?  Best not to consume it at all.  </p>
 295: <ul>
<li><a href="http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/5.7-Saleyyaka-S-m41-piya.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Saleyyaka Sutta</a> mention 10 without intake of intoxicants</li>
<li><a href="http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/1.5-Veludvareyya-S-s55.7-piya.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Veludvāreyya Sutta</a> mention 7 without intake of intoxicants</li>
<li><a href="http://www.themindingcentre.org/dharmafarer/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/4.1-Sigalovada-S-d31-piya.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Sigal’ovada Sutta</a> mention 4 without intake of intoxicants (this is mentioned separately though)</li>
</ul>

<p>Once I heard that in early Indian kings use to take a drink in the evening. The Buddha was careful not to introduce this precept in early day of his teaching until most of the Kings, ministers and tycoons where his disciples. Later when this happened this was introduced. If this was prematurely introduced many who were taking habitual or customary drinks might not have been inclined to listen to the Dhamma. This is just a theory to explain the lack intake of intoxicants in some Suttas some which were early days of the dispensation.</p>
 2282: <p>In a way, the 10 unwholesome actions already take into account the intaking of intoxicants in the sense that intoxicant is a condition for the manifestation of any one of those 10 unwholesome actions. When one is drunk, it could serve as the condition that leads to killing, stealing, raping, etc.. OR it could just cause him to throw up and then pass out. In other words the 10 unwholesome actions are listed because they're all manifested explicit actions while taking intoxicants is a to-be-manifested action..</p>
