I have worked in the alcohol sales industry, the amount of kids who want to buy alcohol (and can, just not from me!) is insane. My sister was at the pub getting blind drunk every night at 14. It's do-able. Especially if the kids nick the alcohol off the parents, as happens a lot of the time. I know I'm in a minority here at not minding at 14-year-old having the odd alcoholic drink but I would never knowingly allow kids in my care to get drunk... that's assuming they're in my care and I know what they're drinking though (I know you'd never knowingly allow kids to get drunk either) - I'd be like you, Jo, and soooo peed off with Liebling if he go drunk at 14; he should know better at that age. Anyway, just to let you know that we alcoholic liberals would be mad too!

Punishment ideas... is there an alcoholic rehab centre near you? Or just a local alcoholics anonymous meeting you could take him to so he sees what can happen due to alcohol. Many alcoholics start thinking it's cool as a teenager and then are hooked. It's soooo hard to get out of an addiction too, best to go overboard now than end up with an alcoholic child (my sister was an alcoholic for some years, by her own admission, and still drinks too much now, but won't admit to that, just "humourous" tales of getting drunk).

MrsR, I beat you by 5 months; I was drunk age 10 months at a Christmas Party at my parents'. I stole all the drinks people had put down!