Well actually it's said that drinking in moderation can be good for you - protecting against heart diseases or something. But many people have difficulty with drinking (alcohol tend to be quite seductive..), so I think having an experience of being drunk in the age of 12-13 or younger is just crazy.
Oh and btw, I'm not supporting the idea that alcohol is great and you should all drink it or something like that.. The key word was 'moderation'. And I don't drink alcohol myself, so.. yeah.