Hawai'i-born acting U.S. Surgeon General Kenneth Moritsugu has picked his home state as one of five to declare a "call-to-action" to change attitudes about underage drinking.

According to Moritsugu, Hawai'i has already made positive strides in lowering underage drinking. While nationally about 23 percent of those under 21 report drinking alcohol, in Hawai'i the average is 20 percent.

Even that is too high, however, Moritsugu said, and he is leading a national effort to mobilize everyone from the federal government down to families in combating the problem.

"That's really what it comes down to," he said. He is encouraged that individual counties have already taken it upon themselves to create coalitions to work at reducing underage drinking at the community level.

At noon today, Moritsugu and Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona will host a town hall meeting with representatives of more than 100 groups interested in combating drinking among children. Aiona is co-chairman of the Leadership to Keep Children Alcohol Free Foundation.

The job of the surgeon general is to disseminate scientific evidence and data related to public health, and Moritsugu will deliver some sobering statistics today.

Across the country, 11 million children have had at least one drink a month. Of those, 7.2 million are binge drinkers, who drink at least five drinks on one occasion, and 2.3 million are heavy drinkers, binge drinking several times a month.

Alcohol accounts for 5,000 youth deaths a year, primarily through motor vehicle accidents, homicides and suicides.

As Moritsugu points out, there are about 5,000 students at small college campuses.

"If 5,000 of our youth die (from alcohol), it's like wiping off a whole college campus from the face of the Earth every year," he said.

No new federal policies will be unveiled at today's town hall — that's not the surgeon general's job — but those who attend should leave armed with guidelines that should help deter children from drinking alcohol, whether as a government, a community, a school or a parent.

University researchers, healthcare providers, Department of Health officials, policymakers, law enforcement personnel, educators, business representatives, members of the faith-based community, youths and parents are expected to attend.

Reach Treena Shapiro at tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.