Underage drinking will be the focus of a town hall meeting to be held from 6 to 8 p.m. April 2 at the Waipahu Intermediate School cafeteria.

The local version of the national town hall meeting and teach-in is being sponsored by the Waipahu Community Association/Weed & Seed Site in conjunction with the federal Interagency Coordinating Committee for the Prevention of Underage Drinking.

Guest speakers will be U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo and Allen Silva of Positive Connections. A representative from Mothers Against Drunk Driving is also expected.

The "teach-in session" of the evening will will provide curriculum for education and awareness of underage drinking issues targeting fifth- and sixth-graders at Waipahu schools.

New national data show that approximately 29 percent of youth ages 12 to 20 have used alcohol illegally, association officials said. By the time they reach eighth grade, 41 percent of adolescents have had at least one drink, and almost 20 percent report having been drunk, Weed & Seed officials said.