Those Who Host Lose The Most

Don’t be a party to underage drinking.

It’s against the law.

Texas Underage Drinking Laws

What adults and teens need to know?

• As an adult, you cannot give alcohol to anyone under the age of 21 under any circumstance, even in your own residence, even with their parent’s permission unless they are visibly present.
• You cannot knowingly allow a person under 21, other than your own child, to remain in your home or on your property while consuming or possessing alcohol.
• Your residence . . . . . your responsibility.

If you break the law:

• You face a sentence of up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.
• Your driver’s license can be suspended for 6 months.
• You can be sued if you give alcohol to anyone under age 21 and they, in turn, hurt someone, hurt themselves, or damage property.

Things you can do:

• Refuse to supply alcohol to youth.
• Actively supervise parties when youth will be attending.
• Make sure alcohol is not brought into your home or onto your property by underage youth.
• Talk to other adults about not providing alcohol at events youth will be attending.
• Create alcohol-free opportunities and activities in your home so youth will feel welcome.

Texas Underage Drinking Statistics

The Texas School Survey of Substance Use Among Students in Grades 7–12 in 2004 reported the following findings:

• Alcohol is the most widely used substance among Texas secondary students.
• Texas secondary students reported 68% lifetime alcohol use and 33% current use.
• Binge drinking—having five or more drinks on one occasion—was reported by 23% of secondary students.
• About 68% of secondary students said it was very or somewhat easy to get alcohol if they wanted some. The major sources for youth to obtain alcoholic beverages were from parties and friends.
• 49% of secondary students reported alcohol was used at one or more of the parties they attended.
• As students got older, the perceived parental disapproval of beer use decreased.
• Young people who said their parents disapproved of teens their age using substances were less likely to use the substances.

The Texas School Survey is a joint project of the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Public Policy Research Institute. The survey results were based on responses of 135,662 students in grades seven through 12 sampled from 78 school districts in the state.

Why 21?

• Alcohol kills 6 ½ times more young people than all other illegal drugs combined.
• Youth who drink alcohol are 7 ½ times more likely to use any illicit drug, more than 22 times more likely to use marijuana, and 50 times more likely to use cocaine than youth who never drank.
• An adolescent’s central nervous system and brain are not yet fully developed and are especially sensitive to alcohol and other drugs. Addiction happens much faster—in as little as 6-18 months.
• Underage drinking is the leading cause of adult alcoholism.
• National data reveals more than 16,500 traffic deaths have been averted since states started raising the minimum drinking age to 21.
• Youth who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than youth who wait until 21.