PARIS – A town hall meeting on underage drinking will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 1, at the forum, Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School, 256 Main St., South Paris.

Last year the Surgeon General’s office sent out a call to action on underage drinking, citing research showing “that young people who start drinking before the age of 15 are five times more likely to have alcohol-related problems later in life.”

In Oxford County, 17 percent of sixth-grade students and 75 percent of high school seniors have already tried alcohol.

Maine Commissioner of Public Safety Anne Jordan, along with local law enforcement, counselors, students and parents, will discuss how residents can make positive change in the community.

Project AWARE will present a skit written and performed by local students, and town hall participants will have an opportunity to gather in small groups to develop ways to prevent underage drinking among youth.

The free underage drinking forum is being sponsored by Healthy Oxford Hills, with funding from the Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Local support is being provided by SAD 17, Community Concepts and Western Maine Health.

For more information, call Kathryn Gardner, 743-1562, ext. 775, or e-mail [email protected].