Letter of Commitment

To our fellow Texans:

Underage drinking greatly impacts the health, safety and education of too many young Texans. One out of four Texas seniors say they have driven after having several drinks, and more than 10 percent of secondary students say they have attended class while drunk. In 1998, alcohol was blamed in the deaths of 640 Texans under the age of 21.

It is time to develop a comprehensive, coordinated approach to prevent underage drinking. Many individuals, organizations and agencies have devoted time, energy and money in a diligent effort to eliminate this problem. These efforts have not been in vain; however, there is still much work to be done. We believe our united resources will achieve an even greater good.

In coming together to form the Alliance Against Underage Drinking, we commit ourselves and our respective organizations to:

• Work together to increase public awareness of the dangers associated with underage drinking. Drinking is not a rite of passage. Alcohol use can harm a child's growth and development, lead to risky behaviors and impair educational opportunities.
• Look for ways to leverage and pool resources devoted to underage drinking in an effort to maximize the prevention message in Texas.
• Develop innovative programs and strategies to discourage underage drinking and reduce alcohol-related problems among young Texans.
• Support efforts that help young people obtain the knowledge, skills and confidence to avoid illegal alcohol use.
• Strengthen efforts to enforce underage drinking laws and reduce youth access to alcohol.

It is our belief that the best solutions to this problem will stem from a committed group of citizens representing a variety of interests. This alliance brings together policymakers, grassroots coalitions, business interests, educational leaders and health care workers and unites them under the common goal of preventing underage drinking. We believe our united efforts can nurture social and environmental changes to make Texas a safer and healthier place for our children.