Rhode Island Project Harnesses 'Sticker Shock' to Reduce Teen Drinking

A group of Rhode Island volunteers is hoping to reduce teen drinking during the holiday season by harnessing the power of "sticker shock." The group is visiting local retailers of alcoholic beverages to paste brightly colored warning labels on cartons of beer and wine coolers and bottles of liquor.

The four-inch-wide stickers feature the phrase, "Think buying alcohol for someone under 21 is not a big deal? Think again." The stickers also list the state penalties for providing alcohol to minors. These penalties start with a $1,000 fine for a first offense, and continue on to jail time and more significant fines for subsequent incidents.

Mary Lou Serra, coordinator of the local Westerly Substance Abuse Task Force, commented: "The stickers are designed to make people think. The holidays are upon us. It's a great time of the year. But it's also a frightening time since statistics show that the holidays provide a perfect excuse for minors to drink ... [often] adults provide the kids with the alcohol. We want that practice to stop."

The group recently spent about $1,500 for 5,000 stickers.

(Source: www.projo.com)

Labels: alcohol, teen drinking

posted by Aspen Education Group @ 9:29 AM