This is America so it's very strange from my perspective: 16 years old has (illegal) access to weed but cannot legally buy beer. When I grew up, getting alcohol as teenagers was a non issue. If you had money, they'd sell it to you: on the terrace of a bar in plain sight. I remember getting beer and wine when partying at my friend's houses (and them in mine) as old as 8th grade (probably around 14 years old). Parents just didn't care about it as long as you would not show up drunk. Cigarettes were a far more sensitive issue with some parents getting hysterical over their kid's attempts at smoking (which never helped). Overall I found out that the most effective approach was trusting the kid - and making sure you tell him that - so he feels good about it. They're going to do whatever they want anyways, weather you agree with it or not, they'll just hide it from you. Related to @LacesOut comment on "nicotine is plainly the most addictive substance known to man", I think it's a myth used to scare kids away from smoking. I could have smoked all I wanted and so all the friends I knew in my generation - very few did. It's not like I didn't try it - but it just didn't do anything for me the way a few beers would do. None of my current friends smoke and I asked them why - same experience as mine. Some people might be more susceptible to nicotine maybe? In conclusion, impose boundaries but don't forbid, so you still get to know if he's consuming: "You will not arrive at home drunk. You will not smoke at home. Otherwise it's your choice but I recommend moderation in drinking and complete abstinence on smoking". Also @KCalhoun is right but there is little you can do about controlling your kid's entourage. Especially at this age coolness and impressing girls is a huge factor so it's tough - good thing is that it's almost surely just a phase and it will pass.
With my daughter's friend who was interested in vaping a few years ago I exploited his instinct for disgust which is a powerful hack into the subconscious. He was 22 or so. I'd show him this video (there are many) and ask if he really thinks the Chinese companies who make vape oils have a better standard? The fake baby formula scandal etc. Obviously it's not sewer oil in vape but profit margin is all that matters in the business culture there and cheap flavourings or stabilisers could lead to things like "popcorn lung", perminent damage that can happen in days. If you have to vape, make your own oil. I believe vaping is probably safer than smoking providing the ingredients are not contaminated. My daughter's friend stopped vaping once he looked into it.
On changing your son's entourage, it's a bit late at 16 years old. Lemme tell you my story. I attended the best class (computer science, started just a year before my application) at the best high school in the county (the largest subdivision of a nation state is a county). The admission exam was extremely difficult, rejecting some 9 out of 10 applicants. I was admitted the antepenultimate (bottom of the class, that is). Bottom of the BEST, that is. I later managed to be admitted the first at a much larger level of competition (university) but that's a story for another time. Thing is, the high school mattered a lot in shaping me into my current mold. I lived in a very strict boarding house. See those "Catholic Schoolgirls" movies, that's a very liberal interpretation of what I lived. It was essentially military school for teenagers while not being quite exactly military school. One of my best friends (met in the university) attended actual military high-school. So while we weren't strange from girls and dope, that wasn't the focus. Focus was performance and we excelled at it.
%% Amazing pattern. My older bro got caught smoking, as teen + banker dad helped him. Gave him a free pack of non filtered Camels + made him smoke the whole pack. Long term that helped him, not smoke Camels anyway. You probably remember the Camel MAGAzine ad , strawberry blond woman + ''Today A man Needs a Good Reason to Walk A Mile'' LOL. My dad also made us walk a lot , but that was part of hunting fun . Hopefully, Baron , he grows out of it; we grew like weeds in HIGH school.
Off topic so I apologize, but it brought up a memory. My neighbor, his brother(2 years older) and I would go bowling in grade school(7th-8th grade) and buy a pack of camel no filters at the alley. We smoked them while we bowled and no adult ever questioned us. We felt like hell by the time we were done bowling. I'm surprised we weren't puking riding our bikes home.
I started caddying in 5th or 6th grade. There was a cigarette machine in the caddy-shack right next to the Pepsi machine. And the caddy-master ran the damn thing, stocked it daily, and took the cash. @RRY16.... hahahah... that was pretty funny. (Sorry Baron) That's what brought back the memories of the caddy-shack. You. Carl. Have you contacted B1 yet to see if he'll let you schlep his bag on the weekends?
Brought back a not so fond memory. A friend and myself got ahold of some Redman chewing Tabacco. We were about 12 or so. We grab us a bunch and begin to chew. Actually tasted kind of good and I was swallowing some of those juices. It was puke city shortly thereafter. That one incident cured me from that nasty ass habit.
%% LOL. NON filtered Camels must have a good ad campaign\ they tasted like punishment. Speaking of '' teenage busted ; when they '' busted '' your butt@ southern HIGH school with a 2 handed paddle, you had to take your wallet out,[no padding permitted] that kind of busted one never forgot................................................................... Our school had not much student problems. But they did offer you a choice ;a busted butt or 3o minutes after school stay
Sister Ann Mary was our principal in grade school and she had a paddle also. In high school Fr. Forey had a ruler he would nail you with when you screwed up in his freshman English class.
%% MY HIGH school math teacher had a smaller paddle, but he paddled on open palm , then laughed about it,after every time he hit your palm. Math has never been my strongest subject/LOL.