Underage drinking and our society

Earlier today I read a news story about the wide acceptance of underage drinking in our country's military.  It was written by a man who had served in the military himself, and in it, he discussed how common and even accepted it was to see 19 year old men taking shots and funneling beers on any given Friday night.  He also discussed how alcohol is easily attainable at very low prices, and the fact that many of the men end up using it to self medicate.  Although it is not always so much of an issue, it does bring to light the health risks associated with alcohol; particularly in the military when men and women need to be at their physical bests.
Reading this story made me think quite a bit about underage drinking in other areas of our society.  I feel that the military is not the only place where it is common and even almost accepted.  At UNH, as well as most other college campuses, it is hard to find a place on the weekends where there isn't underage drinking going on in some way, shape, or form.  Although the police do seem to make an effort to control it, most goes on behind closed doors and is out of their reach.  In addition, I've noticed from personal experience that it is not at all uncommon for police to look the other way whenever possible.
Overall, I feel that underage drinking is slowly becoming more and more acceptable in many different areas of our society.  Although I personally don't think it is much of a problem as long as it is mildly controlled and done in moderation, I do understand the concern by others.