Two state lawmakers plan to introduce tough but reasonable legislation aimed at reducing underage drinking in South Carolina. The proposed bill would target both teenage drinkers and adults who provide alcohol to minors.

The bill was drafted with the input from more than a dozen prominent anti-alcohol and public safety groups. It deserves the support of the entire General Assembly.

The announcement of the bill comes just a few days after a Limestone College freshman died from an alcohol overdose after a night of partying. It's impossible to say whether the proposed law could have saved the life of Zachary Donald Dunlevy, 18, but it could save other young lives or at least steer others away from alcohol abuse.

The bill borrows some strong ideas from other states: For instance, adults who knowingly allow underage alcohol consumption on their property could face criminal charges. This so-called "social host" law is on the books in 32 other states, according to one of the bill's primary sponsors, Sen. Joel Lourie, D-Richland.

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The bill, also sponsored by state Rep. Ted Pitts, R-Lexington, would toughen penalties against young people. It makes it illegal for young people to consume or attempt to purchase alcohol. Thirty-six other states also have that provision. Currently, in South Carolina, it's illegal for minors to possess or purchase alcohol.

The legislation raises the penalties for possession of beer and wine to be on par with current possession-of-liquor penalties. Young people convicted of alcohol possession could face fines and jail time and could lose their driver's license for six months, up from the current three-month suspension. They also may be required to attend an alcohol intervention program. Parents would be notified when a child, 18 years or younger, is charged with an alcohol offense.

Merchants selling alcohol to underage people could be hit with bigger fines -- $200 to $300 for a first offense and $400 to $500 for a second offense, up from $100 to $200. They also could face 30 days in jail and would have to attend an alcohol education program. A new beer keg registration policy, meanwhile, would help ensure that kegs are not sold to underage buyers.