The Coalition, Inc. is pleased to announce the continuation of alcohol and tobacco stings through 2023 for Angelina County. With funding from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for controlled alcohol buys and from the Texas School Safety Center (TxSSC) at Texas State University for controlled tobacco buys, The Coalition, Inc. works with the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) and the local Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) office to conduct the stings.
Youth use of tobacco and alcohol continues to pose a serious public health problem with wide-ranging consequences both for the individual and the community. Most importantly, youth use of harmful substances is a predictor of future use patterns. If the use of harmful substances by youth is delayed until the mid-20s, when the human brain is more fully developed, the risk of developing a substance use disorder is significantly reduced.*
Alcohol and tobacco compliance checks are an important prevention strategy to reduce retail sales of alcohol and tobacco to minors. The goal is to encourage retailers to follow the law and train their employees on responsible sales, which will ultimately lead to restricted youth access to harmful substances. The Coalition, Inc. has resources to aid businesses in training their employees.
“We know that underage substance use leads to increased harm for youth, including impaired driving and long-term addiction. As a community, we need to work together to keep harmful substances out of the hands of minors,” said Sharon Kruk, executive director of The Coalition, Inc. “Controlled buys are a proven method for reducing youth access, and we are thankful to TxDOT and TxSSC for providing the funds for the stings and grateful for the partnership with
Since 1988, The Coalition has focused on eliminating the use of harmful substances by affecting public policy, laws, attitudes and behaviors, all in an effort to foster healthy life-long choices for the local community. For more information about The Coalition’s programs, contact Sharon Kruk at The Coalition at 936-634-9308.
*Among youth who used harmful substances before the age of 18, 25% have a substance use disorder, but for youth who started to smoke, drink or use drugs at age 21 or later, the rate is only 4% (The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University).