Have any of you thought of sitting down with your kids, spending some time with them, and beating them?!
No really, we have two teenage boys, 16 and 13 and I feel it's really important to talk with your kids about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse, and about the realities of responsible use of recreational drugs and alcohol. Let's be real, we all use at least one drug recreationally and our children are very aware of this, the approach of "do as I say, not as I do" didn't work in 20 years ago when I was a teen, and it doesn't work now. Our boys seldom see me or their mother buzzed, but they see us enjoy beer (and sometimes wine) most days. They understand that we enjoy tasting and brewing beer, and that intoxication is a side effect of over indulgence that responsible adults try to avoid (most of the time). I think teens are far more likely to act like the adults they see in their daily lives than they are to act completely differently from their parents/guardians just because "we say so".
Also, on the subject of giving teens a taste, or even a bottle of beer.... first off, it's legal in many states and all arguments aside, not at all immoral (IMO) if done in an appropriate fashion. I'm not saying letting your kids drink is a good idea, but I see nothing wrong with a father and his son enjoying a bottle of beer while fishing or doing yard work. I may be way off base here, but I learned about alcohol from my parents, mainly my father, who drinks a few brews a night, always has unless it's a special occasion. Even when we were little, dad would let us have a 'sip' here and there, and as we got older, he'd let me and my brother have the occasional beer if the situation was appropriate (after a hard day in the yard, on a fishin'/huntin' trip, or even the occasional evening on the patio). I'm not saying I never went balls out drinking at a party when I was younger, but I've never been an abusive drinker (meaning I've never sought to drink for a buzz) and I've never struggled with the ills of alcoholism (even though it runs rampant on my mother's side, her included).
I think it's all about teaching your kids to grow into responsible adults, and not just when it comes to drinking, but in every way. If you pretend that alcohol is this taboo that noone can touch until the magical day when they've been alive for 21 years, how can you expect them to act responsibly with alcohol at that point? I mean, last time I checked, 21 year olds were just as rowdy and irresponsible as say an 18 year old.