Alcohol Education Programs for Minors
The Department of State Health Services approves alcohol education programs across the state. The standardized program is six hours in length and is designed to help youths gain awareness of the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse. The curriculum covers societal values related to alcohol consumption by minors; the influence of alcohol advertising; the physical, social and psychological effects of alcohol; the relationship between motor vehicle and other accidents and alcohol use; and, relevant laws. Find a program.

Drug and Alcohol Driving Awareness Programs
Drivers can reduce their auto insurance premiums by 5 percent by taking a new drug and alcohol driving awareness training program approved in 2000. The six-hour driver training course has been approved by the Texas Education Agency. Drivers taking both the alcohol/drug education program and the defensive driving course would qualify for a 15 percent discount on their auto insurance. Class sites.

Drug Abuse Resistance Education
D.A.R.E. is an officer-led, in-classroom, anti-drug, anti-gang, anti-violence program for school children. D.A.R.E.'s primary mission is to provide children with the information and skills they need to live drug-and-violence-free lives. Additionally, it establishes positive relationships between students and law enforcement, teachers, parents and other community leaders. D.A.R.E. police officers receive 80 hours of special training to be equipped with all the tools they need to teach a course in drug resistance and violence avoidance techniques.

Project SAVE
Project SAVE (Stop Alcohol Violations Early) is a school based alcohol prevention program developed by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission to be used in Texas schools. The program is offered to students in fourth through ninth grades and teaches children not only to avoid alcohol because it is illegal for them to drink, but also teaches them how. Project SAVE instructors equip children with the skills to resist pressure to drink.

Protecting You, Protecting Me
This curriculum, designed by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, is designed for use in elementary schools to help reach children before they have fully shaped their attitudes and opinion about alcohol use by youth. The curriculum provides a series of 40 classroom-based lessons, eight lessons for each grade one through five, designed to be taught in schools by teachers or volunteers. Materials are provided to inform parents and guardians about the risks associated with underage use of alcohol and provide them with resources to assist children in remaining abstinent, protect them from riding with alcohol-impaired drivers and prevent poisoning from medications and household products containing alcohol.

Shattered Dreams
Unique in its design and powerful in its impact, "Shattered Dreams targets high school students and involves the dramatization of an alcohol-related crash on or near a high school campus, complete with police and EMS response, emergency room treatment, family notifications and the arrest and booking of the driver. The crash scene drama is played out before the student body during a school day. Throughout the day the other elements of the "docu-drama" unfold. The next morning a wrap-up assembly features those who played roles in the previous day's drama, including the "crash" victims, the drunk driver, their parents and participating law enforcement and medical personnel.

videos:
Shattered Dreams - San Marcos High School. San Marcos, TX. Video Length: 6 min 53 sec
Shattered Dreams - Anderson High School. Austin, TX. Video Length: 2 min 34 sec

Texas Department of Insurance
The Texas Department of Insurance makes more than 450 presentations a year to a wide range of audiences, including high school driver's education classes. These presentations can include information about the impact of underage drinking on insurance rates. For more information, contact Richard Lee, director of public education, (512) 463-6534.

Youth in Action
Youth in Action, sponsored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, teams young people with adult community partners to work toward environmental prevention strategies by changing laws, strengthening enforcement and media advocacy. These teams of young people are working to change the social climate that suggests that underage drinking is an acceptable choice for those under the 21 minimum drinking age.