ANGELINA COUNTY, Texas — With the weeks of spring break approaching fast, it also reminds everyone of the dangers that come with it.
"Nearly 900 alcohol involved crashes occurred during last year's spring break," Jeff Williford, TXDOT spokesperson said.
TXDOT has launched it's statewide "Drive Sober. No Regrets." campaign to raise awareness to safe driving. They hope to reach the crowd of college age students and other youth that go out for the break.
"We want to bring awareness to the costs that drunk driving can have, that driving under the influence can have on you, your family, and your friends," Williford said. "That's a big part of what this campaign is about."
An Angelina County based group is stepping up to spread information about the perils of underage drinking. They hope that their words can help reduce those numbers.
The group is made up of over 40 high school students who went through a rigorous process and commitment to be leaders in their community.
Project Sticker Shock is their current campaign. They have gone to local businesses that sell alcohol to talk about the consequences of underage drinking. Similarly, they want to prevent adults from buying and providing alcohol to minors.
"They put stickers on the different cases of beer and different alcohol to warn adults about the consequences of providing alcohol to minors," Sharon Kruk, Executive Director said.
The Drug Free All Stars will continue to make their way around East Texas in hopes to spread awareness and prevent underage drinking and other issues that arise during spring break. As a result, they hope to maintain the bright futures of the youth in their community.
"If you introduce different substances such as alcohol or vaping or anything like that, it changes the pathways in the brain," Kruk said. "And it makes it difficult for the youth to achieve the success that we want for them."