Students to discuss underage drinking concerns with lawmakers

CEDAR RAPIDS - Students from several Linn County high schools will meet with state legislators today in Des Moines to discuss their concerns about underage drinking in Iowa.

The students are participating in the Alliance of Coalitions for Change's Underage Drinking Prevention Day. They represent Central City, Center Point-Urbana, Lisbon, Marion, Mount Vernon, Springville and Cedar Rapids Washington high schools.

Anthony Jensen, outreach coordinator with Linn County Public Health, said underage drinking has decreased significantly in Iowa, but the state still ranks among the top 10 for underage binge drinking.

In the 2008 Iowa Youth Survey, Jensen said, more than one out of every four 11th-graders in the state reported having drunk alcohol in the past month.