Alcohol Awareness

This program promotes a healthy lifestyle and heightens awareness of the choices and consequences of alcohol abuse.

Zero Tolerance

It is illegal for a minor to:

• Possess or consume alcoholic beverages
• Misrepresent his or her age to obtain alcoholic beverages
• Be intoxicated in public
• Operate a motor vehicle or watercraft while having any detectable amount of alcohol in his or her system. This is also known as DUI (Driving Under the Influence).

Providing Alcohol to Minors

Sale to Minors - Class A Misdemeanor:

• Fine up to $4,000 and/or
• Confinement in jail for up to a year

Purchase of Alcohol for Minor/Furnishing Alcohol to a Minor - Class A Misdemeanor

• Fine up to $4,000 and/or
• Confinement in jail for up to a year
• Driver’s license automatically suspended for 180 days upon conviction.

Driving While Intoxicated (DWI)

In Texas, a person is legally intoxicated and may be arrested and charged with Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) with a .08 BAC (blood or breath alcohol concentration). However, a person also is intoxicated if impaired due to alcohol or other drugs, regardless of BAC. Whether you are the driver or the passenger, you can be fined up to $500 for having an open alcohol container in a vehicle.

 What happens if you are stopped?

If you are stopped, be ready to show your driver’s license, proof of insurance and vehicle registration. If you refuse to take a blood or breath test, your driver’s license will be automatically suspended for 180 days.

First Offense

• A fine of up to $2,000
• Three to 180 days in jail
• Loss of driver’s license up to a year
• Annual fee of $1,000 or $2,000 for three years to retain driver’s license

 Second Offense

• A fine of up to $4,000
• One month to a year in jail
• Loss of driver’s license up to two years
• Annual fee of $1,000, $1,500 or $2,000 for three years to retain driver's license

 Third Offense

• A $10,000 fine
• Two to 10 years in prison
• Loss of driver’s license up to two years
• Annual fee of $1,000, $1,500, or $2,000 for three years to retain driver’s license

Effective Sept. 1, 2011

A first offense DWI in Texas, with blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.15 percent or greater is a Class A misdemeanor. You can face up to:

• A $4,000 fine and/or
• One year in jail

 With Open Container

• Up to a $2,000 fine and/or
• A minimum of six days in jail With Intoxication Assault
• Up to a $10,000 fine (for each count)
• Two to 10 years in prison With Intoxication Manslaughter
• Up to a $10,000 fine (for each count)
• Two to 20 years in prison With Child Passenger (under the age of 15)
• Up to a $10,000 fine (for each count)
• 180 days to two years in a state jail

Texas Penal Code§ 19.02 Murder

A defendant can be charged with murder if, while committing a felony, he/ she performs an act “clearly dangerous to human life that causes death of an individual.” A third DWI conviction is a felony offense. This means that if a person’s act of driving while intoxicated results in a person’s death, and the driver has two previous DWI convictions, the driver may be charged with murder.