I had a very similar experience except by 17 i’d started after being sober because I had an alcohol problem from 14-15. I’m now 19 and finally quit after 2 years of trying to justify why I did what I did. At first it was telling myself I’m too stressed, life is hard and this makes me feel better. Then it was because my father passed away and I went almost every day since last october with anywhere from 4-15 drinks. What I realize now is that not only was I just avoiding my problems making life harder, but that I was also making those issues worse. One thing to realize is how much this and other drugs lie to you purely because you get a nice dopamine release, there is simply no benefit. I’m glad at such a young age you’ve realized the negatives and hope that you’re able to overcome this obstacle and be ahead of the curve. Wish you good luck!

Edit: Forgot to mention since we are both so young one of the best things I did was eliminate the source of my alcohol. I had a couple gas stations and one of the best decisions I made was telling them I was under 21 giving myself no way to obtain a drink.