"A 'slap on the wrist' really just encourages future abuse as it reinforces the attitude that the individual doesn't have a problem and that society doesn't think their abuse is a serious problem."

DUI offenders who are 16 and 17 years old are handled in a juvenile court, but minors charged with the consumption or possession of alcohol have risen so sharply that Taylorsville started a special program to handle the cases, he said. This program includes an assessment to determine the severity of abuse and education or counseling, random drug and alcohol testing and monthly court reports.

A recent school survey showed more than 45 percent of Utah students find alcohol is the easiest illegal substance to obtain, with 21.1 percent of 12th-graders reporting that they used alcohol in the past 30 days. The same survey, the Student Health and Risk Prevention Survey, published at the end of 2003, shows on average youth first try alcohol around age 12.

Kimberly Clift, who works at a convenience store on Foothill Boulevard, says teenagers are becoming more bold about trying to buy booze, including generating false identification on their home computers.

"I see kids trying to buy beer with fake IDs all too often," she said. "When they do try, I take the ID from them, write down the license plate number of their car and call the cops."

She's not sure prosecutors or law enforcement officers do much about it, but she believes she's doing a good thing.

"The reason why I take the ID from them is because I see it as saving a life," Clift said. "I am preventing them from drinking and driving and probably killing someone in an accident."

Cam, Tony and Thomas say it was no problem to obtain alcohol or drugs. They'd make beer runs or get alcohol from older friends or relatives.

"You can pretty much get anything you want, anytime you want," Thomas said.

Despite these comments, the State Division of Substance Abuse reports overall use of all substances — drugs and alcohol — has decreased the past 25 years, according to division director Randall Bachman.

Prevention does seem to be the key, and the division recently was awarded a federal grant for substance abuse prevention activities at Utah's colleges and universities. Underage drinking and drinking and driving are just two of the areas that will be addressed in the program, to be kicked off in September.