PHOENIX — Alarmed at the high number of teen drinkers, state officials launched a new effort Monday with a different focus: convince adults not to provide alcohol to those under 21 or even to condone it with their silence.

 The “Draw the Line’’ campaign comes a year after a statewide survey showed that nearly half of all high school seniors reported having a drink in the last month. Three quarters said they had imbibed at some point.

 It actually starts much earlier: A quarter of all eighth graders said they had a drink in the past 30 days.

 Gov. Janet Napolitano said she knows where at least some of the blame lies.

 “Nearly half of Arizona adults believe it is OK for youth to drink alcohol under parental or adult supervision,’’ she said.

 The governor said there already are state-funded programs aime at convincing teens not to drink. And those, she said, will continue.

 Napolitano said, though, the numbers prove more is needed. This campaign, she said, will educate adults about not just the health also but the legal implications of allowing — or even just tolerating — alcohol use by those under 21.

 “Underage drinking is not a rite of passage,’’ she said. “It is not safe for children. It is against the law.’’

 But a survey conducted last year for the Arizona Parent Commission on Drug Education and Prevention found a significant minority of Arizonans age 18 and older disagree.

 A third of those questioned said underage drinking was acceptable under parental supervision. And nearly as many said there i nothing wrong with providing alcohol to someone younger than 21 at a special occasion or a rite of passage.

 Much of the $900,000 campaign is designed to get parents to talk with their children.

 “Research suggests that parental disapproval — parents not agreeing with it — is a key reason why some youths choose not to drink until they’re 21,’’ said Andres Cano, a student at City High School in Tucson. But Cano, who also is a member of the

 Governor’s Youth Commission, said most high schoolers report their parents never discuss the subject with them.

 Napolitano said the message goes beyond telling parents to talk to their teens about drinking.

 “Don’t provide the ‘kegger’ in the back yard at graduation o other times,’’ she said.

 “Don’t think that just because you’re supervising the drinking, the drinking is OK,’’ Napolitano continued. “It quickly migrates into unsupervised drinking and unsupervised drinking can resolv into pattern drinking and behavior that really is an opening portal for other kinds of substance abuse problems.’’

 State law generally makes it illegal to give or sell alcohol to anyone younger than 21. Violators are subject to up to six month in jail and a $2,500 fine.

 But adults can provide alcohol to members of their immediate family. There also are exceptions when alcohol is used for religious purposes or in medicine.

 One element of the campaign provides a link where parents can send prewritten text messages to their children. Options include

 “Hope UR having fun. Stay smart. Luv u,’’ “Remember Good

 Judgment’’ and “If u need me — call me.’’

 -30-

 Percent of 8th graders who have used alcohol:

 Area / past 30 days / ever

 Statewide / 24.1% / 50.9%

 Apache / 17.9% / 40.8%

 Cochise / 21.0% / 48.2%

 Coconino / 26.7% / 50.9%

 Gila / 34.3% / 63.7%

 Graham / 25.7% / 49.2%

 Greenlee / 37.6% / 65.5%

 La Paz / 28.5% / 53.0%

 Maricopa / 23.0% / 49.1%

 Mohave / 34.6% / 64.1%

 Navajo / 26.6% / 49.7%

 Pima / 24.2% / 50.7%

 Pinal / 30.3% / 57.9%

 Santa Cruz / 28.0% / 53.3%

 Yavapai / 24.2% / 51.8%

 Yuma / 24.5% / 52.9%

 — Source: 2006 Arizona Youth Survey

 Arizona Criminal Justice Commission

 Percent of 12 graders who have used alcohol:

 Statewide / 47.0% / 74.5%

 Apache / 43.2% / 71.5%

 Cochise / 42.9% / 72.5%

 Coconino / 48.1% / 79.9%

 Gila / 42.1% / 78.2%

 Graham / 40.2% / 64.6%

 Greenlee / 55.4% / 86.6%

 La Paz / 42.6% / 69.4%

 Maricopa / 46% / 72.8%

 Mohave / 50.7% / 78.3%

 Navajo / 30.4% / 61.5%

 Pima / 49.8% / 78.5%

 Pinal / 51.1% / 78.8%

 Santa Cruz / 61.2% / 85.1%

 Yavapai / 55.0% / 80.6%

 Yuma / 43.1% / 71.9%

 — Source: 2006 Arizona Youth Survey

 Arizona Criminal Justice Commission

 ————

 Underage drinking in different circumstances:

 Situation / Acceptable / Not / Depends / Don’t know

 Parental supervision / 34% / 52% / 13% / 1%

 Adult supervision / 16% / 70% / 13% / 1%

 Special occasion / 30% / 50% / 20% / 1%

 Rite of passage / 30% / 53% / 12% / 5%

 — Source: Survey of 1,000 randomly selected Arizonans age 18 and

 older

 Conducted by Social Research Laboratory, Northern Arizona

 University