Preventing kids from binge drinking

I've argued before that the prevailing approach of abstinence-only, when it comes to alcohol, does not teach responsible drinking habits in young people.

From the New York Times comes a thoughtful article called Can sips at home prevent binges? The author has two teenage sons with whom he wishes to share his love of wine, in moderation. He struggles to find the best approach in teaching responsible drinking habits to his sons in a society that is somewhat justifiably paranoid about alcohol consumption.

The most illuminating point contained therein was that the context of the family is all important. One researcher agreed that introducing very moderate alcoholic consumption in a family is a very healthy route if the adults themselves are modeling healthy behavior. If the adults aren't, then allowing adolescents even a little bit of alcohol probably doesn't serve them well.

I wonder that if we as a society could "loosen up" a little bit about alcohol consumption and have healthy choices modeled out in public for young people; might that be helpful even among those with poor practices in their homes? Since young people are by-and-large limited from being in places with alcohol consumption except for family events and perhaps sporting events, where over-drinking abounds, many probably never even see what responsible consumption looks like.