The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission announced the launch of a year-long pilot program in conjunction with new state laws that are designed to reduce the ability of underage youth to obtain alcohol.

TABC officials, along with state representative Dan Branch, made the announcement yesterday inside the Hughes-Trigg Student Center.

The pilot program will monitor the effectiveness of new laws that go into effect on Sept. 1. They would punish those who provide alcohol to other teens by charging them with a Class A Misdemeanor and a fine of up to $4,000, plus up to one year in jail. The laws also clarify that only parents can serve alcohol to their own children. It is illegal to serve alcohol to unrelated underage youth, even in the privacy of one’s home.

“65 percent of youth get their alcohol from family or friends or parents’ friends,” said Gail Madden, Dallas’ TABC board member.

According to TABC research, a majority of Texas parents do not know that serving alcohol to their children’s friends is illegal – even with the permission of the friends’ parents.

Accordingly, the Texas Underage Awareness program is being tested in Dallas and McAllen. Research will be done over the next year to see if the TABC is effectively getting out its message and reducing the number of youths obtaining alcohol.

Assisting the TABC will be various local law enforcement agencies.

“When laws change you have to take into account the awareness of the public. We will work to make sure that citizens will be aware of the changes,” University Park Police Captain Robert Brown said.

“We will recognize the fact that there are new laws, but there will be no changes as far as increased enforcement is concerned. What we are doing now is working,” said SMU Police Chief Michael Snellgrove.

He says that the program should work because it’s proactive and should improve public safety.

“This not only affects SMU but potentially the rest of the country. If it works, then our model could spread elsewhere.”

President R. Gerald Turner also spoke at the announcement, stating the university’s desire to reduce the amount of underage drinking.

“We here at SMU have students who are injured because of alcohol abuse . . . the real reason for them being here is to get a degree,” Turner said.

Texas had 276 alcohol-related traffic deaths involving 15-20 year olds in 2003, the most of any state.