Underage drinking is a major public health threat. That's according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By the time students leave high school, about 75 percent have drank alcohol and 230,000 have been admitted to the emergency room because of drug and alcohol use. As our Katie Gibas reports, student athletes in Onondaga County are taking action against underage drinking.

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ONONDAGA COUNTY, N.Y. -- Bryce Kerr is a captain on the Skaneateles boys varsity soccer team. Besides practicing hard, he and his teammates have promised to be alcohol-free this season.

"There are kids that do look up to us, being a captain of the soccer team. There are younger kids that we brought up. I think there are sixth tenth graders that we brought up and I think some of them do look up towards the seniors and upperclassmen to lead them," said Kerr.

Kerr is one of hundreds of student athletes at four different schools in Onondaga County who are participating in the Prevention Network's "Honor the Code" Program. The goal is to raise awareness about the dangers of alcohol and drug use and also support athletes who make healthy choices.

"It builds character. It's something that the community supports. It makes the student-athlete adhere to their choices," said Kirk Atwater, the Skaneateles Boys Soccer Head Coach.

Kerr added, "It unifies the team to begin with. And also it unifies the community. It prevents bad situations from happening that have happened in the past."

Organizers say they hope the program serves as ripple effect and spreads to other schools to helps serve as a mean to change the overall attitude and culture surrounding underage drinking.

"Nobody is paying to it. Nobody really pays attention to their athletic or school's code of conduct. It is taken for granted and we're saying, 'no, no. You can't just put it in a drawer and then go out and drink.' We really have to say this is an honorable thing to do," said Philip Rose, the Underage Drinking Prevention Coordinator at the Prevention Network.

In addition to Skaneateles, Marcellus, Onondaga and LaFayette all "Honor the Code."

Honor the code is a one year pilot program that organizers hope to expand to more schools next year.

For more information, visit www.preventionnetworkcny.org.