NMAA fights drinking with peer's story

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Because kids don't always listen to adults, the New Mexico Activities Association is using the stories of their peers to combat alcohol use.

The tragic story of a star teenage athlete and drunken driving will be featured in a new program on the NMAA website.

Gabe Gurule, a former Manzano football player, is serving eight years in prison for killing three men in a 2005 DWI crash.

Gurule's grandmother was there for Wednesday's announcement.

Coaches agree that his story sends a strong message.

"The program is put together where they can really put themselves in that situation. Someone their age, someone who they can relate to and I think it's going to be much more meaningful than an adult talking or lecturing," Artesia Head Coach Cooper Henderson said.

The NMAA will hold training seminars for the online program next week.