Minors' drinking gets new emphasis.

Byline: TRICIA SCHWENNESEN The Register-Guard

Underage drinkers beware: Come Jan. 1, anyone who doesn't show up in court after getting a ticket for being a minor in possession of alcohol will lose their driver's license.

"Oregon has some of the best laws on the books but we need to concentrate on better enforcement," said Nina Robart, executive director of the Oregon Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking. "Alcohol is the No. 1 drug of choice for youth."

The stiff penalty closes a loophole in the current law, which does not provide a consequence for not responding in court to a ticket - making the citation an ineffective deterrent.

Another change in law creates new rules for minors who try to buy alcohol as part of Oregon Liquor Control Commission sting operations.

"Decoys" in the program - devised to cut down on the sale of alcohol to minors - will be required to be younger than 21 and look younger than 26, and won't be able to lie about their age or use a fake identification card.

Robart and about 200 state, local and law enforcement officials attended a symposium Friday at the Eugene Hilton, where they announced plans to better enforce laws aimed at curbing teen-age drinking.

Nationwide, underage drinking kills six times more young people than all other drugs combined and often plays a part in the four leading causes of teen death: automobile crashes, homicide, drowning and suicide, according to the Office of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Programs.

Statewide statistics haven't changed dramatically in the past few years, and that's the problem, said Barbara Cimaglio of the Department of Human Services.

"We have an unacceptably high rate of underage drinking," she said. "We think now is the time to raise awareness."

The younger people are when they begin to drink, the more likely they are to face family problems, drop out of high school or suffer injury or death, Cimaglio said.

Changes in the laws will help combat the problem, but the coalition challenged each county to set up a team of people - including alcohol and drug specialists, young people and law enforcement officials - to study underage drinking and come up with new ways to tackle the issue.

Lane County's team plans to focus on changing the way youths and adults view alcohol through education and increased awareness, said county prevention coordinator C.A. Baskerville.

The team has used part of a $20,000 state grant to create a series of public service announcements that tell parents how to talk to their children about alcohol, Lane County Health and Human Services coordinator Brinda Narayan-Wold said.

The series began airing on local radio stations at Halloween and will continue through Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, she said.

The team also suggested that officials consider raising Oregon's low alcohol and beer taxes and implementing stricter penalties for third parties who purchase alcohol for those underage to make alcohol less accessible, they said.

The fact that alcohol is socially acceptable - and legal for adults - can make it difficult to discourage young people from imbibing.

The best thing adults can do is model responsible behavior - drink in moderation, don't drink and drive and don't supply a minor with alcohol, she said. "We're not advocating prohibition," Baskerville said. "We really need to demonstrate and show celebrating without alcohol or drinking."

LANE COUNTY STATS

Citations issued from May 2000 to May 2001:

Minor in possession: 320

Misrepresentation of age: 108

Furnishing alcohol to a minor: 100

Misuse of ID: 2

About 1,150 youths under 18 sought alcohol or drug treatment in 2000

49.8 percent of Lane County 11th-graders reported drinking alcohol in the past 30 days