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I tend to see three levels in my industry (pharmacy).
First, there's the everyday relaxation which might be a glass of wine with a meal or one or two beers or cocktails at a pub. While often social, I've rarely seen people in my profession get intoxicated, let alone really drunk, at this point. You're working the next day, or in a couple of days, and you never know when you might get called in. You just can't afford to be unavailable, or worse, make mistakes the next day.
Next, there's the small convention. These are only 2-3 day things, sometimes just overnight trips. You're out of town, meeting up with some industry friends and you go out for a good time and some networking. Maybe a drug rep gives you a pass to a club or a show. I've seen some people get pretty hammered, but not "out of control". You are there to learn something and we as pharmacists are pretty used to being in control of ourselves.
And then there's the major conventions, 5-6 days long. There is usually a big blow-out at the end where people hook up, get smashed and go wild. All of that tension built up over the past year doesn't just unwind, it unravels. The sponsoring agency usually books a hot club for the evening, buys us a couple free drinks each, and we have a great time. This is the only time I've seen people in my business go completely nuts, but even then it is a minority. Most everyone else is dancing and shouting and getting cozy with the hot thing from another state.
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