My son is clearly enamored of the idea of drinking. In the car the other day, he commented how stupid smoking is and how 'you'd have to be crazy to do drugs, they wreck your life.' I agreed and then asked about drinking. A pause, and then he admitted that drinking sounds fun to him. I've known/suspected this for a while. For instance, at the store, he begged for the vodka spaghetti sauce, and at a local ice cream store, LOVES the flavors called Tennnesse Whiskey, which has about a shot per pint, and Bourbon Pecan. He also asked to tour a local brewery (the manager told him the fun is in tasting beer/ale and to come back when he's 21.)

I hardly drink and don't keep alcohol at home (or the Tennessee Whiskey ice cream no matter how delicious it is!). Last time I had a drink was at Christmas and it was spiked eggnog.

He is a good kid and I am giving him more freedom, eg, hanging out with friends. I check to make sure parents are around and that we're on the same page about teens and supervision, but I also realize it would be pretty easy for them to find ways to drink if they want to.

I've explained my zero tolerance policy to him and that it can cause major damage to adolescent brains....but how do I remove the romance from the idea of drinking?