ORINDA -- As high school students all over the Bay Area celebrate their graduations, parents, police and educators are doing all they can to make sure students stay sober and safe.

Miramonte High School in Orinda hosted an all-night graduation party on campus Friday evening. It was less three weeks ago that Miramonte sophomore Joe Loudon died after he collapsed at a party. Authorities say they suspect excessive drinking may have caused his death.

"We want to send a clear message that we're not going to tolerate this," says Sergeant Mohammad Djajakusuma with the Orinda Police Department. "As a police department, we want to make sure everyone is safe."

Security guards checked bags of teenagers entering the Friday night celebration at Miramonte High School. School officials say more than 300 new graduates bought tickets for the party.

"You know it's real fun because you don't need other substances to make us have fun so that's really great about grad night," says graduate Elaine Tanski.

"You don't need alcohol to have fun," adds another graduate, Andrew Kjar, "It's your friends that you can have fun with. That's all that matters."

Police in Orinda, Moraga and Lafayette are joining forces to step up patrols. They say there will be several private graduation parties held at homes and they plan on citing parents or homeowners if underage drinking is going on.

"Make sure you know what your kids are doing," says Sergeant Djajakusuma. "If they're having a party, make sure there's no alcohol, because we are going to respond and we're going to determine if there's alcohol. As a police department we have to go forward."

Some of the Miramonte High School graduates told KTVU Loudon's death serves as a painful reminder of what can happen when celebration and alcohol abuse go too far.