According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the more youth drink, the more likely they are to drink and drive, or ride in a car where the driver has been drinking. In addition, alcohol can impair adolescents judgments about sex and contraception, placing them at increased risk for HIV infection, other sexually transmitted diseases and unplanned pregnancy. Whether they obtain it from friends, siblings, unlocked liquor cabinets or licensed alcohol establishments, nearly 90 percent of 10th graders say alcohol is easy to get. When they first start drinking, most youth get alcohol from home, with or without their parents permission. As they get older, teens are more likely to get alcohol from friends and siblings over age 21 and at parties.
Older teens are also more likely to report buying alcohol from licensed alcohol outlets.
Minimum legal drinking age laws, which set the legal drinking age at 21, exist in every state. The CDC estimates that at least two thirds of alcohol outlets sell to underage purchasers without asking for identification. Many more employees drink to a lesser degree. A common misconception among employers is that alcoholics are responsible for most of the workplace problems related to alcohol. However, according to the 1998 Corporate Alcohol Study by the Harvard School of Public Health, light and moderate drinkers cause 60 percent of alcohol related incidents of absenteeism, tardiness and poor quality of work, while dependent drinkers cause 40 percent.