Annual Project Sticker Shock Helps Keep Teens Safe for Prom
Research shows that more teens die from drinking and driving during prom and graduation than at any other time of year. In an effort to help keep Burlington teens safe during this high risk time, students from the Above the Influence BTV and BE Above BTV prevention groups and Burlington Partnership for a Healthy Community (BPHC) staff held their annual “Project Sticker Shock” on Saturday May 5th and Wednesday May 9th to reduce the negative consequences of underage drinking.
Above the Influence BTV, BE Above BTV, and BPHC recognize how important it is to remind adults to support our youth in making healthy and legal decisions about alcohol use. This year prevention group students and BPHC staff were joined by Burlington community members and Vermont Department of Liquor Control investigators Matthew Gonyo and Jay Clark. Everyone worked together to place bright stickers on alcoholic beverages and on alcohol cooler windows at local alcohol retailers 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 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 41% of teens in Burlington who drank in the last month report obtaining alcohol by someone giving it to them and 21% reported they specifically gave someone money to buy it for them! When last estimated in 2013, underage drinking cost Vermont $123.3 million (Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention).
Shamura Awayle, BE Above member and Hunt Middle School 8th grader indicated that she believes the Sticker Shock project is important to the Burlington community because “[the project] involves so many members of the community and educates adults…adults are vital for preventing underage drinking.”
Tara Rueckert, BPHC Development and Youth Programming Coordinator stated, “Our prevention team wants to extend a big thank you to 802 Beer/Wine/Spirits, Bessery’s Quality Market, Brian’s North End Store and Deli, the North Avenue Hannaford, JR’s Corner Store, Kerry’s Kwik Stop, Kerry’s Old North End Variety, Mobil Short Stop on North Avenue, and Pearl Street Beverage for their enthusiastic participation in Project Sticker Shock this year!”
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