Before getting a few well-deserved off days for spring break, several local high schoolers were putting in work as the Angelina County Drug-Free All-Stars concluded their annual Sticker Shock campaign in Huntington Friday morning.
The event was a reminder of the consequences adults can face if they choose to provide alcohol to minors. They do this every year by putting stickers on various cases of beer pointing out what could happen if caught.
Those punishments could include a year in jail, a $4,000 fine and a six-month driver’s license suspension.
The message is a good one.
We’ve always heard the saying “kids will be kids.” But there’s no reason the adults need to help them with the process.
However, it should just be one of many reminders as area schools take their spring breaks this week.
Spring break can be one of the most dangerous weeks of the year for high school and college students. We know those kids assume bad things will never happen to them.
Rest assured, it can.
Various members of the editorial board lost fellow classmates while they were in high school. Some of these were alcohol-related and some weren’t.
Driving can be dangerous, but it’s even more dangerous when alcohol enters into the equation. And none of us ever thought we would be the ones getting a phone call about a lost friend, relative or classmate.
You might not believe us, but it can happen to you.
The Texas Department of Transportation recently started a “Drive Sober. No Regrets” campaign to curb drunk driving incidents during this high-risk period.
“Every death due to drunk driving is preventable,” TxDOT executive director Marc Williams said in a press release. “We want students to understand that it’s easy to celebrate spring break safely. By finding a sober ride, taking a cab, using a rideshare, or simply staying put after drinking, students can make sure their families gather for graduation and not a funeral.”
According to TxDOT, more than half of alcohol-related crashes during the 2022 spring break involved 17-30-year-old drivers.
In 2022, there were 810 DUI-alcohol-related traffic crashes during the spring break period, killing 44 people and seriously injuring 90 others.
It’s safe to say it’s not just a statewide problem.
According to information given out by The Coalition at Friday’s Sticker Shock press conference, Angelina, Polk and Cherokee Counties combined for 229 alcohol-induced arrests in 2022. Of those, 228 were for driving under the influence.
In 2022, there were a total of 161 alcohol-involved crashes with 12 fatalities in Angelina, Polk and Cherokee Counties.
Whether it’s spring break or not, we should all heed the advice to not mix drinking and driving. But spring break is a good reminder — especially for youths — that if you’ve had anything to drink, you don’t need to get behind the wheel.
In the same packet, it said alcohol-impaired driving deaths are at 22% in Angelina, 20% in Polk and 29% in Cherokee. The statewide total is 25% according to the Robert Wood Johnson County Health Rankings.
Unfortunately, one of the sad realities of working for a newspaper is knowing firsthand that it happens in our community whether local kids want to admit it or not.
We’ll echo what the Texas Department of Department said.
Drive Sober. No regrets.
Lufkin Daily News
