Steve Scibelli remembers dancing when he was a teenager.

“We used to have dances almost after every football and basketball game,” the North Bend police chief recalled.

They probably kept him and his classmates out of trouble — at least a little bit.

Those days are long gone. Dances are expensive to put on, and wholesome, alcohol- and drug-free activities aren’t easy to find for local teens, the chief lamented.

So Scibelli, along with other Coos County officials in the Local Alcohol & Drug Planning Committee, has decided to get into the dance business.

This Saturday, the committee will throw the first of three drug and alcohol-free dances for all teenagers in grades 9 through 12 to send the message home that you don’t need a buzz to have a good time. The free event runs from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m., at the Coos Bay Eagles Lodge.

“We think it’s important that (teens) don’t drink and use drugs, and we’re willing to put our time and energy into this to give (them) a positive alternative,” Scibelli said.

Last year, officers in Coos County arrested 361 young people for being minors in possession of alcohol, Scibelli said. Plus, a recent survey of the county showed that 42 percent of all teens had consumed alcohol by the 11th grade. So giving kids something else to do with their free time may curb some of those numbers.

“It’s a problem in part because kids today are inundated by alcohol messages (from) movies, music, parents, the community and television. The message is out there that drinking is fun and that drinking is a grown-up thing to do,” said Judge Paula Bechtold, who deals with MIP cases. “The idea is to prove that you absolutely do not need to have alcohol to have a good time.”

She added that according to research, people who start drinking during their formative years are more likely to end up with alcohol problems. It also can damage teens’ developing brains.

“We really would like to have our citizens as smart as possible,” the judge said.

The inaugural dance will be followed by others later this fall and winter, with one likely in Coquille. The chief said he brought up the idea when the committee had some leftover money. It often uses prevention dollars from the State Office of Alcohol and Drug Services to put on youth summits at Southwestern Oregon Community College.

“I said, ‘Why don’t we put on a dance for these kids?’” Scibelli said. “Everything kids want to do costs money. This won’t cost them a cent.”

Those who attend will get to dance to music spun by a live DJ. They’ll get their choice of free snacks and drinks, and get to mingle with high schoolers from throughout the county. Plus, it will be well-chaperoned, Scibelli added. North Bend and Coos Bay police officers will chaperone, along with members of the committee and community volunteers. The chief said he talked to some teens about the kind of music and food they wanted for the event, including chips, pop and finger foods.

“Basically, it’s going to be a good activity for kids to participate in,” Scibelli said, adding that it will not be a Halloween dance.

Gary Francis, a committee member and inspector for the Oregon Liquor Control Commission for Coos and Curry counties, said the event will get teens off the streets for three or four hours.

“Who wouldn’t think that’s good for the community?” Francis said.