There's a marked difference between "drinking" and "being drunk". It's perfectly acceptable where I work to "have a beer", but I would fully expect to be, at l

There's a marked difference between "drinking" and "being drunk". It's perfectly acceptable where I work to "have a beer", but I would fully expect to be, at least, reprimanded for anything more than that. EDIT: It's a context thing. If I was in the middle of a difficult problem and wanted a little "mental lubricant", I don't think anyone would question it. Drinking for no reason, or when being even slightly tipsy could affect performance, makes for perfect grounds for punishment. I understand the professionalism argument, but we're all adults here. If having a drink completely obliterates your sensitivities, you didn't have very many in the first place.