Senator Charles J. Fuschillo Jr. announced recently that legislation he co-sponsored that would help prevent underage drinking has been signed into law by Governor Pataki. According to Fuschillo, the new law will require beer kegs to be clearly marked with an identification label or tag, allowing law enforcement to track down the purchaser of kegs found at underage parties.

"Research has shown that beer kegs are often a main source of alcohol at parties where underage drinking occurs," Fuschillo said. "This law will make it easier for law enforcement officials to track down the purchasers of kegs of beer found at keg parties frequented by underage drinkers. This is essential because kegs encourage greater amounts of alcohol consumption, which increase the risk of driving under the influence of alcohol and other alcohol-related problems.

According to the 2001 National Household Survey on Drug abuse, approximately 10.1 million persons aged 12-20 (28.5 percent reported current use of alcohol that year. Of these young people, nearly 6.8 million (19 percent) were binge drinkers. In New York State, the latest statewide survey of alcohol and other substance abuse among students in college reveal that 6 percent of students used alcohol in the last 30 days. Furthermore, in a 1996 Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) survey of alcohol use by college studnets in New York state, 4 percent reported "binge drinking" within the last two weeks.