It can be purchased by anyone of legal age according to local law.
Alcohol is by far the most common drug of abuse across all age groups.
Alcohol is involved in nearly 50 percent of all major injuries, including motor vehicle accidents, assaults, stabbings, and shootings. Over 100,000 people die in the United States per year of alcohol-related causes. While social drinking in small amounts produces no adverse consequences, many people go on to abuse alcohol. They may have significant health, family, work, or legal consequences. People who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcoholism than those who begin at age 21.