A gray-haired man in a tailored suit stepped onto the stage in the Brown Auditorium.

“Is this thing on?” he asked, speaking into his lapel microphone. 

He went on to explain how easily accessible fake IDs have become.

“I’m sure most of you have one in your pockets right now,” he said. “And that’s a felony.” 

The man speaking was Mr. Sean Teare, Harris County assistant district attorney general.

 Mr. Teare visited Kinkaid during an assembly on Feb. 28 to discuss the consequences of underage drinking and the means by which minors obtain alcohol. His talk centered on the use of fake IDs and the dangers of drinking and driving. 

Mr. Teare began by emphasizing the severity of the issue, noting that minors who drink and drive not only put their own lives in danger but also the lives of everyone around them. 

He encouraged students to think twice before attempting to purchase alcohol with a fake ID, as the legal consequences can be severe. He said possessing a fake ID can result in up to 10 years in prison. 

Mr. Teare then shared an example of a case in which a high school senior in Atascosita killed two of his friends in a drunken driving incident. 

“From the first moment, he was sobbing,” Mr. Teare said. “He was so sorry. They were his friends, and they were dead.”

He described the devastating impact such actions can have on families and communities, emphasizing that one mistake can spiral into a much larger issue. 

Mr. Teare’s talk was well received by the students, many of whom had not previously considered the potential consequences of underage drinking. 

“The talk was informative and opened my eyes to the dangers of driving under the influence,” sophomore Cami Culbertson said.