Good points Lulu, Ryn and Maya. I'm thinking outside my own immediate family now and I guess I could easily imagine a scenario where I would also be hesitant to introduce alcohol too early, if at all. Fortunately there isn't the expectation that every celebration/get together needs a slab with our extended family/friends. We can easily have family functions sans alcohol. We have one relative who might have an issue but I've never seem him drunk. Infact I've hardly ever seen drunkness in our extended family at all. Most of us enjoy a nice red with meals but it's only 1 or 2 glasses. Some of the uncles like a beer in summer... but they don't over do it... most just having the one or two over the course of an afternoon. If there was an over emphasis on drinking I think I would be sensitive to the issue. So I definately agree that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to this issue