I cannot BELIEVE this! Why don't they just wean them on alcohol then?

They kinda do. It's common practice in many countries to have a splash of wine mixed in with water for meals when younger. It helps develop a healthy attitude toward drinking. If you think of it as something to enjoy in moderation at meal time, you're less likely to chronically overindulge. Whereas if it's restricted from you your whole life, the first reaction might well be to overdo it and get stinkin' a lot.

Just remember, don't drink and drive. You might hit a bump, and spill your drink.

Many Irish put a dab of whiskey into their baby's bottle of water and start them at an incredibly young age. They call this water/whiskey mixture "gripe". One only has to note this fact and wonder where the Irish learned to be such avid drinkers.

Youth are more into powdered alcohol, because it's legal and it is easier to take to a party undetected. It's a great chance for kids to find out why alcohol makes adults so happy. They don't mention the effect 3% alcohol, has on a person who is half or 3\4 the size of an adult, and has yet to develop a tolerance for alcohol. The earlier drinking is introduced, the the more time there is for alcohol addiction to take hold and run it's course. Particularly with an uncommon degree of peer group pressure, and advertised suggestion.