In an effort to decrease the consequences of alcohol purchased by minors, The Coalition, Inc. partnered with the Angelina County Sheriff’s Department and the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission (TABC) to conduct alcohol compliance checks, with funding from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). Under the direct supervision of law enforcement officers, juveniles under the legal age to drink/purchase alcohol are used as decoys to enter businesses that are licensed to sell alcohol and then attempt to purchase alcohol.
“Underage drinking has unintended consequences for youth, such as increased risk for car crashes, sexual assault and long-term addiction. Local retailers must train their employees on the laws concerning the sale of alcohol to minors, and they should set an expectation among their staff to ask for ID and deny alcohol sales to anyone under the age of 21,” said Sharon Kruk, Executive Director of The Coalition. “Thank you to the businesses in our community that responsibly sell alcohol; your commitment to prevent underage drinking keeps the youth in our community safe.”
During the two sets of April minor sting operations, there were three stores who sold to minors and seventeen who did not. We commend those stores who did not sell alcohol to minors in our community and recognize them for helping to combat underage drinking:
- CVS/Pharmacy #6846, 1204 E. Lufkin Ave., Lufkin;
- Walgreens #05792, 102 N. Timberland Dr., Lufkin;
- HEB Food Store #617, 111 N. Timberland Dr., Lufkin;
- Gas N Go #1, 401 N. Timberland Dr., Lufkin;
- La Michoacana Meat Market, 416 Atkinson Dr., Lufkin;
- M.B. Mart, 708 N. Raguet St., Lufkin;
- Munch Market 1, 2701 N. Raguet St., Lufkin;
- Lucky’s, 1701 N. John Redditt Dr., Lufkin;
- Big’s #3819, 103 N. Timberland Dr., Lufkin;
- A2Z Food Mart #1, 904 S. John Redditt Dr., Lufkin;
- Big’s #3914, 1004 S. John Redditt Dr., Lufkin;
- Dollar General Store #10644, 2102 Southwood Dr., Lufkin;
- On the Road #103, 4110 S. 1st St., Lufkin;
- Snappy Food Mart Crown Colony, 101 Champions Dr., Lufkin;
- Walmart Supercenter #140, 2500 Daniel McCall Dr., Lufkin;
- Big’s #3850, 3019 S. John Redditt Dr., Lufkin;
- Zak’s Food Mart #5, 612 S. Timberland Dr., Lufkin;
Three businesses did sell to minors, and administrative action was taken against the individuals who sold the alcohol:
- Snappy Food Mart Lufkin, 804 N. Timberland Dr., Lufkin;
- Zaks Food Mart #3, 620 N. Raguet St., Lufkin; and
- On the Road #102, 2909 E. Denman Ave., Lufkin.
Sale of alcohol to a minor is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by a fine up to $4,000, confinement up to a year in jail, or both. Persons 21 or older can be held liable for damages caused by the intoxication of a minor under 18 if the adult knowingly provided alcoholic beverages to a minor or knowingly allowed the minor to be served or provided alcoholic beverages on the premises owned by or leased by the adult.
The Coalition, Inc. is funded in part by a grant from TxDOT to reduce the number of alcohol-related crashes in Texas. Since 1988, The Coalition has focused on eliminating the use of harmful substances by affecting public policy, laws, attitudes, and behaviors, all to foster healthy life-long choices for the local community. For more information on how to prevent underage drinking, contact The Coalition at 936-634-9308.
