Coastal Carolina University is hosting an Underage Drinking Conference from Aug. 15 to 17 in the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration. The three-day conference will address current trends in underage drinking, strategies and practices needed for prevention, enforcement and community engagement in the problem. The public is invited; registration is $50.

Law enforcement officers, prevention professionals and community prevention partners, parents, students, victims advocates and anyone who interacts with teenagers and young people are specifically invited to attend the conference, which will feature speakers and experts from the legal and medical profession, and the alcohol industry.

Some sessions will be specific to law enforcement personnel, such as party dispersal, fake IDs, shoulder tap operations (in which an underage person asks an older person to purchase alcohol for them) and compliance checks. Continuing education credit is offered for law enforcement personnel.

Topics to be addressed include:

- Reducing underage drinking through environmental strategies

- Retail education program, which offers training for anyone who serves or sells alcohol or tobacco products and covers knowing the laws and how they affect the community

- Building community support to address underage drinking

- New fads in alcohol, which explores emerging products and examines advertisers' role in marketing beverages to young people

* New legislation and how if affects the underage drinker

* Alcohol and sexual assaults

Space is limited, so registration in advance is preferred, though registrations will be accepted the opening day of the conference. Call 349-6511 for more information.