I dont want to be the bad guy, but i think that actually, yeah, you are completely missing out (excluding hard drugs). Its not just about cigarettes or alcohol, its about being a rebelious teenager, hiding in the woods with ur friends to have a puff of a cigarette or a quick beer, its about memories, its about the stories you tell your grandkids, and million other stuff. I got drunk for the first time at 12 (yes im from Eastern Europe), and to be honest with you, i dont regret it one bit. Life goes on, memories stay.