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Friday, September 26, 1997

State lawmakers kickoff zero-tolerance awareness campaign

By RENAE MERLE / Associated Press Writer

AUSTIN (AP) -- State lawmakers warned underage drinkers Thursday about a new law that levies tough penalties if they are caught with any detectable trace of alcohol in their system.

"This is a serious new law that we hope will serve as a deterrent for young people," said Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, who sponsored the legislation. "This law makes a difference, but it makes the most difference when people are aware of it."

The state's "zero-tolerance" law went into effect Sept. 1 and says that underage drinkers will face criminal penalties and the automatic suspension of their license.

The crime is a Class C misdemeanor on the first offense, punishable by a maximum fine of $500 and an automatic driver's license suspension for 60 days.

The law eliminates a provision allowing people under 21 to drive with a blood-alcohol content of 0.07 and replace it with a zero-tolerance standard.

"Zero-tolerance laws have been created to prevent underage DUI (driving under the influence) crashes and untold injuries every year by deterring teens from drinking and driving under the powerful threat of loss of their license," said John Lawn, chairman of The Century Council, which is sponsoring a $200,000 public awareness campaign about the law.

The Century Council unveiled posters with the slogan "You Drink, You Drive, You Walk," that will be distributed to high schools, universities and state offices across the state.

Lawn also presented a humorous television commercial that tells teen-agers about the law. "It's tough! It's new! And -- if you're under age -- it's just for you," the commercial announcer says. "Here's your chance to double date with mom and dad."

Lawn said the council decided to a take a light approach to the commercial because that is how teen-agers relate to their peers.

"We had to be careful not to preach to young people," Lawn said.

The commercials will be shown during time set aside by television stations for public service announcements.

The bill also increases the penalties, including driver's license suspension, for selling alcohol to someone who is under age and for purchasing alcohol for someone under 21.

Rep. Jerry Madden, R-Richardson, said he is still concerned about law enforcement's ability to accurately measure a zero blood-alcohol content.

"As an engineer I know that zero is a hard number to measure," Madden said.

He said depending on the sensitivity of the equipment, it would be possible to pick up traces of cooking sherry.

"If you had strong enough equipment, you would be able to find alcohol in their system, whether they had drank in two years or not," Madden said.

Congress has mandated that states adopt a "zero-tolerance" law by Oct. 1, 1998, or face the loss of $38.5 million in federal highway funding over the next two years.

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission also announced a new statewide alcohol education program, Project SAVE (Stop Alcohol Violation Early), Thursday that targets students in elementary, middle and high school levels.

"Project SAVE teaches young Texans not only to avoid alcohol use because it is illegal, but also equips them with the skills necessary to resist peer pressure," said TABC agent Kirk Dalchau.

The program will include the use of videos, role playing and extensive student involvement. Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
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