Six underage youths have died recently in the Lexington area in alcohol-related crashes, and Lexington Rep. Ted Pitts wants to do something about it. "It's time that the legislature deal with the weakest laws in the country when it comes to underage drinking," he says.

He and Sen. Joel Lourie, D-Columbia, will pre-file a bill Wednesday that would do that.

The Prevention of Underage Drinking and Access to Alcohol Act of 2007 would make it illegal for an underage youth to even try to purchase alcohol. Here's what else it would do if passed:

--Raise the penalties for beer and wine possession so they're the same as liquor possession.

--Require youths convicted of alcohol offenses to complete an alcohol intervention/education program.

--Exempt youth working with law enforcement from being prosecuted if they're buying or attempting to buy alcohol to check stores' compliance with the law.

--Require parents to be notified when their child 18 or younger is charged with an alcohol offense.

--Lengthen driver's license suspensions to six months from the current three.

--Raise the penalty for selling alcohol to youth.

--Require merchant education for any salesperson convicted of selling alcohol to someone underage.

--Create a "social host" offense for people who knowingly allow underage alcohol consumption on their property.

--Create a keg registration policy to help police identify the source of a keg.

"We hope this law will make a difference because in many other states they already have laws to try to prevent underage drinking, access and consumption," says Jami Goldman, state director of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

For example, 32 other states already have "social host" laws. The penalty in this bill would be $500 or 30 days in jail for someone who allows underage youth to drink on their property.

Robin Elmore, store director at Green's liquor store in Columbia, says she doesn't know how much good  the keg registration system would do. Green's can sell 300 kegs on a busy weekend during football season.

"For example the fraternities," she says. "The brother that comes in and buys it is 21. He takes it to the house and they're not. I can't do anything about that. We do everything we can on our end, but it's an education thing, letting them understand there are repercussions for it."

She says the keg registration might work better, though, with the "social host" part of the bill that's included.

Sen. Lourie says the bill will make a difference.

"Now the law's going to get tougher. The driver's license suspensions are going to get tougher. The fines are going to get higher. Mom and dad are going to find out about it. They run the risk of losing their scholarships," he says.

"I have a teenager and we've had a long conversation about this, and I hope and pray that she and all the other teenagers around South Carolina will pay attention to what we're doing." 

Rep. Pitts says an average of 45 people a year under the age of 21 are killed in alcohol-related crashes in South Carolina.