Our Sticker Shock Project Helps Keep Teens Safe for Prom
On May 7th 2014, we worked with Burlington High School students from the Students Taking Action and Risks Together Group (START) to host our annual “Project Sticker Shock” to reduce the negative consequences of underage drinking for their peers during the prom weekend (the BHS prom was on Saturday, 5/10).
Research shows that more teens die from drinking and driving during prom and graduation than at any other time of year. START and BPHC recognized how important it is to remind adults to support our youth to make healthy and legal decisions related to alcohol use during this high risk time. Five START students, accompanied by adult chaperones, placed bright stickers on multi-packs of alcoholic beverages (beer, wine coolers, etc.) and on alcohol cooler windows at grocery and convenience stores in Burlington. The stickers and window clings read: “Hey there, please keep this out of the hands of minors. Providing alcohol to people under 21 may result in fines up to $2,000 and 2 years in jail.”
According to the 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 38% of teens in Burlington who drank in the last month report obtaining alcohol by someone giving it to them and 26% reported they specifically gave someone money to buy it for them! Research conducted by the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation estimated that underage drinking cost the citizens of Vermont $123.4 million in 2010 (sponsored by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention).
Thank you to the following Burlington retailers for participating this year:
Waggy’s Store & Deli Pearl Street Beverage
Bessery’s Quality Market Kerry’s Kwik Stop
Merola’s Market Pine Street Deli
Old North End Variety Champlain Farms Sunoco-Shelburne Rd.
Burlington High School junior, Tian Berry, gives this reason for participating in the project, “Sticker shock is a way for us to start spreading the message around Burlington to adults and high school students that staying sober is okay, even if other people aren’t, and that there are punishments for breaking the law.”
This event was covered by our local news stations Fox44/ABC 22 News, WPTZ, the Burlington Free Press and the North Avenue Newspaper! To see more pictures from the project visit the Burlington Partnership for a Healthy Community on Facebook.
Students who participated:
Taylor Shortsleeve
Tian Berry
Noah Smith
Will Orndorff
Keshav Pokhrel
Names of staff who participated:
Melissa Cleary (BHS Prevention Coordinator)
Daniel Mulligan (BPHC Project Coordinator)
Mariah Sanderson (BPHC Director)
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