Although the serious health risks of underage drinking and smoking are well-documented, far too many young people in Arizona ignore them.

According to the 2006 Arizona Youth Survey, 62 percent of Arizona teens reported using alcohol. Among Arizona high school students, 46 percent reported drinking alcohol in the past month, slightly higher than the national average of 45 percent. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Arizona ranks 18th nationally in alcohol-related fatalities involving drivers under 21.

One in five Arizona high school students say they smoke. Every year in our State, more than 6,000 teenagers under 18 become smokers. An estimated 14 million packs of cigarettes are smoked each year by Arizona kids.

These grim statistics make it clear that all of us – especially parents, educators, policymakers, youth leaders and law enforcement – need to step up our prevention efforts.

Alcohol use under the age of 21 is not just illegal, it’s extremely dangerous. Youth alcohol consumption is closely associated with traffic fatalities, violence, unsafe sex, suicide, educational failure and other undesirable behaviors. Those who start drinking before age 21 are four times more likely to have serious alcohol related problems later in life than those who do not drink until they can do so legally.

Earlier this month, I addressed Arizona's first statewide conference on underage drinking. That session brought together community leaders and experts in many fields. I talked about efforts to stop marketing alcohol products to young people. A prime example of such marketing was the sale by Anheuser-Busch of Spykes, an alcohol energy drink containing caffeine. The product was promoted and packaged to be highly attractive to teens.

Shortly after the conference, I joined 28 other Attorneys General in a letter to Anheuser-Busch, criticizing the promotion of Spykes and asking the company to withdraw the product. To its credit, a week after receiving our letter, Anheuser-Busch announced it would stop selling Spykes.

My Office has also been aggressive in efforts against retailers who illegally sell tobacco products to minors. This month, our tobacco enforcement agents increased investigations of retailers across Arizona with “Operation Counter-Strike.” Young volunteers work undercover with our agents and local police to identify retailers making illegal tobacco sales. Since 2002, more than 10,000 undercover inspections have been conducted throughout Arizona.

Arizona law prohibits the sale or furnishing of tobacco products to people under 18. National statistics show that those who start smoking early are far more likely to be long-term smokers. About 80 percent of adult smokers began before age 18.

We may never eliminate underage drinking and smoking in our State. But we must do everything we can to enforce the law and reduce these destructive, unhealthy behaviors.

Terry Goddard