The first in a region-by-region series of town hall meetings aiming to curb underage drinking and driving will be held this week in the Pinckney area, where underage alcohol-related car accidents are 75 percent to 150 percent higher than the rest of Livingston County, one official said.

The meeting, "Underage and Under the Influence — The Alcohol Climate in Livingston and Washtenaw Counties," will be held Thursday at the Hamburg Township Library.

The Dexter and Pinckney areas make up one of 16 regions across Michigan targeted for the program, which aims to curb drinking among ages 16-20.

The local effort, the Pinckney Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking, was driven by statistics that indicate the Pinckney area has more liquor licenses per 10,000 people than anywhere else in the county.

"It's a new way of looking at prevention. It's a data-driven prevention process," said Michele Baukema, coalition community organizer.

The program's goal is to reduce underage access to alcohol, and thereby alcohol-related accidents, unintended pregnancies and other issues tied with underage use.

"It's kind of looking from the bottom of the funnel and going up, we are looking for root causes of this. Kids are getting alcohol at home with their parents' knowledge or without their parents' knowledge," Baukema said.

The program will gather students, parents, schools, businesses, public health officials and others under one roof to brainstorm each topic, Baukema said.

The meeting will also address retail access to alcohol by underage drinkers, and encourage retailers to play an active role in the process.

Baukema said the approach is a far cry from school-sponsored anti-substance abuse programs. She said the program is already showing signs of success in Saline.

"One-shot deals do not work. That one program for six weeks is not going to be the magic bullet," she said.

"It's looking at a communitywide policy, access policy, in your community," Baukema added.

A separate town hall meeting will be held in the Dexter area, south of Pinckney.

Other town hall meetings are planed for other parts of the county.

This week's program coincides with Alcohol Awareness Month.

Contact Daily Press & Argus reporter Christopher Behnan at (517) 548-7108 or at cbehnan@gannett.com.