Hmm, well I'd say it's ok for someone of 15-17 age to drink a little because in Italy, for example, the legal age for drinking is 16, so, your liver must not be still grwing at a rate when any amount of drink would damage it at that rate.
Although, the continental drinking culture is different to ours, but sometimes it's good to let yourself go and lose your SELF.
I once read it was the aim of humanity to lose its self, a classical idea i think