All across Utah tonight, groups of parents and teens, educators and law enforcers will gather to discuss ways to combat underage drinking in their individual communities.

It's a scene that will be re-created throughout the country over the next month, with more than 1,200 town hall meetings scheduled as part of a national initiative spearheaded by the federal Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration.

"It's important that parents and communities take a look at this issue and give thought to what they can do about it, because it's not without its consequences," said Steve Wing, associate administrator for alcohol policy for the administration.

"At that age, it's not like adults who might get cirrhosis of the liver," he said. "The consequences for youth tend to be things like accidents, drunk driving, unprotected sex, date rape, fights . . . that sort of thing."

Nationwide, nearly 30 percent of youths 12 to 20 years old reported drinking alcohol in the past month, while 2.8 percent of high school seniors reported daily use, according to the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration.

In Utah, recent surveys indicate 86,000 teens have tried alcohol and 13,000 of those need alcohol treatment. Binge drinking among Utah youths is not unusual and, in some cases, begins as early as the sixth grade, according to Abbie Vianes, coordinator of the Salt Lake City Mayor's Coalition on Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs.

"Although we may think we don't have a problem . . . we still have enough that we need to address this," Vianes said. "This is something that needs a lot of community attention."

This week in Utah, several cities have scheduled town-hall meetings to address the problems of underage drinking. The bulk of those gatherings are tonight across the Wasatch Front, though several more are scheduled throughout April.

Leaders for Salt Lake City and South Salt Lake, along with first lady Mary Kaye Huntsman, will gather tonight in the auditorium of the University of Utah's Fine Arts building for presentations by mayors from both cities and professionals from the Utah Addiction Center, as well as an open microphone session for community dialogue.

Vianes' office targeted churches and schools to encourage parents and their teens to attend the meeting and look for solutions to underage drinking.

"This is a critical safety issue. It's a health issue, and as a community we need to really address it," Vianes said. "If we want healthy, happy families and a healthy, happy community, we just need to come together as a community and eradicate this."

For a complete listing of Utah town hall meetings, go to www.utahprevention.org. For additional information and a schedule of national meetings, visit www.stopalcoholabuse.gov.

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E-mail: awelling@desnews.com