Issue date: 6/7/05 Section: News

In Texas, adults who are caught providing alcohol to minors will soon face the loss of their driver’s license for six months if a new legislative bill is passed.House Bill 1357 (HB 1357), authored by Rep. Kino Flores and Sen. Kel Seliger, would automatically suspend the driver’s license of any adult convicted of knowingly providing alcohol to minors for 180 days. The bill is awaiting signature by Gov. Rick Perry and will take effect in September if approved.Supplying alcohol to minors is currently a Class A misdemeanor punishable by monetary fines and jail time, and this penalty should provide an even stronger deterrent to people considering supplying alcohol to minors, Seliger said.“I feel the penalty is commensurate with the violation,” he said. “I think it’s a serious penalty, but I cannot imagine a more avoidable violation.”The bill is supported by the Partners for Zero Tolerance for Underage Access, which includes Diageo, a spirits, beer and wine company that includes brands such as Bailey’s, Smirnoff and Guiness. Diageo is supporting similar bills in 20 states across the country, said Gary Galanis, vice president of corporate relations for Diageo.College campuses such as A&M could be greatly affected by the new penalty, Galanis said.“It will become such a deterrent in the state of Texas that those above the legal drinking age will think twice before buying alcohol for minors or throwing a keg party that minors will attend,” he said.Joe Albers, a junior electrical engineering major, said he thinks the bill is targeted at punishing the wrong person.“I don’t think you should lose your license over alcohol if (the violation) has nothing to do with your vehicle,” he said.Flores said the main way minors get alcohol is through friends or relatives who are willing to provide it.“During the interim, we traveled across the state of Texas and found that was the main way minors were getting alcohol,” he said.Galanis said Diageo supports the bill because the company wishes to preserve the safety of families.“If you look at our company, we are a company of families — we have mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters,” Galanis said. “We want to put a stop to underage drinking to ensure the safety of families. We’re really looking at this as a great opportunity to take some action, to help eradicate underage drinking.”Flores said Diageo was instrumental in the passing of HB 1357.“They were a key component of working in Texas to minimize underage drinking,” he said. Seliger said the company’s support shows their seriousness in opposition to alcohol abuse.Supporters of the bill recognize that it will not put a complete stop to underage drinking, but it is a step in the right direction, Galanis said.”It’s just a piece of the pie, buts it’s a simple and effective piece in deterring underage drinking,” he said.James Burtchell, a senior forestry major, said he is opposed to the bill but he understands the motivation behind it.“I don’t think you should lose your license for six months, but you know before you’re (supplying minors) that it’s against the law and what the consequences are.”

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