Why the fuss?

When it comes to alcohol the rest of the world has the right idea. The majority of the world does not have a legal drinking age and the purchasing age of alcohol is 18. When you go to Europe or Mexico, it is okay to have a drink with your friends or family. In Europe families have wine with every meal, and friends meet up at local pubs for a beer to catch up. To the rest of the world this just doesn't seem out-of-the-ordinary. Growing up in the United States, everyone knows that the drinking and purchasing age of alcohol is 21. Some people in our country get married before they are 21. Does that mean no alcohol at the wedding? I just think this is absurd. Kids today are sneaking their parent's alcohol, getting older people to buy it for them, or buying fake i.d.'s. If it were accustomed in our country to have a glass of wine with dinner while growing up then I believe kids wouldn't think drinking was that big of a deal. It is because we have been told for so long that we can't have alcohol that kids want it more. I just feel that we have a much bigger problem with underage drinking and drunk driving than anywhere else in the world and maybe we could learn something from the rest of the world.