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Marc Giauque reporting State officials say March, April and May can be critical times when it comes to underage drinking. They're launching a series of town meetings to help lower the numbers.
Spring break, high school graduations and proms are all part of an excuse in some people's minds for underage drinking. Craig Povey, of Utah's Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, says it involves thousands of teens.
"By eighth grade there's about one in four that have had alcohol. By the 12th grade, you're just under half of all 12th-graders have consumed sometime in the last year," Povey said.
Povey says the town meetings are set up to inform parents and teens about the numbers and some of the dangers. He says the best way to prevent underage drinking is for parents to set strong expectations and monitor their children's activities.
For a list of dates, times and locations for the town hall meetings, click the first related link. For more information on the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health, click the second link.
E-mail: mgiauque@ksl.com
