BERKELEY -- Berkeley police brass, Mayor Tom Bates and university officials gathered outside City Hall on Thursday to kick off Alcohol Awareness Month and challenge area residents to abstain from drinking booze today through Sunday.

"I'm saddened by the fact that we just lost a member of our community -- Steve Saucedo," Bates said. "We are going to do everything we can to turn this alcohol problem around in our city."

Last week, University of California, Berkeley student Steve Saucedo, 21, was found dead in his bed after drinking what police believe were lethal amounts of tequila, vodka and whiskey.

The exact cause of Saucedo's death is pending the outcome of toxicology reports, but by many accounts he drank himself to death, officials said. Bates said the junior from Whittier and a handful of friends filmed the contest to see who could consume the most alcohol.

Attempts to reach Saucedo's family in Whittier have been unsuccessful.

Although Alcohol Awareness Month was already planned when Saucedo was found dead in his Regent Street apartment last Friday morning, Berkeley leaders said his death and other recent alcohol-related incidents show there is a problem in the community.

Two weeks ago, 14 liquor store clerks were fined for allegedly agreeing to sell alcohol to minors during a police crackdown on underage drinking.

Underage decoys were able to buy booze in more than half of the stores they tried, police said.

"That's got to stop ... that's not acceptable," Bates said.

Alcohol also is thought to have played a role in a fatal crash in a Suisun slough that killed five people, including four teenagers, last week, Berkeley officials said.

"It's been a really tragic couple of weeks," said Joe Roblars with the Alcoholic Beverage Control.

All those alcohol-related incidents aren't surprising, the officials said, because there are 9.7 million drinkers in the United States between 12 and 20 years old, and among them the average age they began drinking is 13.

Alcohol-Free Weekend is designed to raise the public's awareness about liquor and how it affects lives, families and businesses. Organizers are inviting everyone not to drink for 72 hours. Local resources are available at 981-2489 for those who experience difficulty or discomfort during the dry period.

Throughout this month, the city also is continuing its crackdown on underage drinking, educating vendors about alcohol sales laws and youths about the dangers of drinking, said City Manager Phil Kamlarz. Starting April 19, a car wrecked during an alcohol-related crash will be on display in Lower Sproul Plaza at UC Berkeley. Representatives from Mothers Against Drunk Driving are helping to organize that display.