The statistics are alarming.

One in four middle school students in the Roanoke Valley said they took a drink of alcohol before the age of 13, according to a risk behavior survey given to public school students in Botetourt, Craig and Roanoke counties and the cities of Roanoke and Salem.

Four of 10 high school students reported drinking in the past 30 days and one in four also reported binge drinking.

"We have a problem with underage drinking in the valley," said Kathy Sullivan, the Roanoke Area Youth Substance Abuse Coalition coordinator. "If we are going to make a difference, we have to pull together as a community."

That is the impetus for a town hall meeting on youth and alcohol at 7 p.m. today at Virginia Western Community College.

The gathering is one of 27 planned across Virginia and hundreds more across the nation in response to the U.S. Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking. The Roanoke Area Youth Substance Abuse Coalition, the Roanoke County Prevention Council and Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare are sponsoring the meeting with the help of a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Teenagers will have the opportunity to talk about where young people get alcohol, how they drink, with whom and why. Other featured speakers include Judge Philip Trompeter of the Roanoke Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, and Dr. Colleen Kraft, a pediatrician with Carilion Clinic.

A recent study released by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that alcohol use by adolescents impairs brain development. Early use also may be associated with future alcohol-related problems.

"The younger people start drinking, the more likely they are to have significant alcohol problems in their lifetime," said Nancy Hans of the Roanoke County Prevention Council.

And underage alcohol use may lead to other risky behaviors, such as unsafe sex, drugs and violence, she said.

The intent of tonight's meeting is for community members to explore strategies to prevent underage alcohol use.