The state governmental entity that oversees alcoholic beverages reported that at least 130 businesses were caught allowing transactions with minors, according to Austin-based media outlets.
Austin ABC affiliate KVUE reported that the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) had conducted back-to-school undercover operations across the Lone Star State.
“Our state’s alcohol retailers are the first line of defense when it comes to preventing the illegal sale of alcohol to minors,” TABC head Thomas Graham said, per KVUE. “While TABC will continue to hold violators accountable, our first goal is to serve as a resource to help educate businesses and ultimately keep them in compliance.”
The entity said that its agents conducted the operations just as classes commenced statewide, with 14% of over 1,100 establishments visited found to have been in violation, KVUE reported.
The station reported that youth volunteers under TABC supervision assisted with the visits throughout last month.
KVUE reported that the operations yielded a total of 131 violations, or a 86% compliance rate.
Austin FOX affiliate KTBC reported that the state capital registered a 100% compliance rate out of 22 businesses surveyed, a first in many years.
Aside from being home to the Austin Independent School District (AISD), Austin is the location of the University of Texas (UT) System’s flagship campus.
"I would say for about the past dozen years or so we’ve put the onus on holding the business accountable as opposed to the minors that purchase the alcohol," TABC spokesperson Chris Porter said, KTBC reported. "A single instance of a violation does open the public up to alcohol-related tragedies, and we want to get that number down as best as we can."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on its website that underage alcohol consumption is common in the U.S.
Citing its 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, the CDC reported that 29% of youth drank alcohol and 14% engaged in binge drinking.
According to the CDC, children who drink alcohol are more likely to experience problems in school and with the legal system and are at a higher risk of endangering their physical and mental health.