The sate Public Safety Department is urging parents, educators and servers of alcoholic beverages to crack down on underage drinking. Spokesman Terri Durdaller says the season for spring celebrations such as proms and graduation events can mean minors are more susceptible to underage drinking. Durdaller says the department’s Division of Alcohol and Tobacco offers regular training for servers. She says the program teaches servers to how to recognize fake indentification and how to handle intoxicated customers.

Durdaller says convictions related to underage drinking can be costly. She says any person under the age of 21 convicted of purchasing or consuming alcohol or any server responsible for serving a minor can face up to a 1-thousand dollar fine and up to a year in jail.

AUDIO: Laura McNamara reports (:63 MP3)