On Saturday, Nov. 16, the Partners for Prevention, a program of Rutland Regional Medical Center, gathered for its annual Sticker Shock campaign. Sticker Shock aims to reduce underage drinking by limiting youth access to alcohol. The campaign is designed to discourage adults from buying alcohol for minors by educating them about the consequences of these actions.
Teams of youth and adults from Mentor Connector spent the morning at Farrell Distribution and placed over 500 stickers on multi-packs of beer and other alcohol products with a warning message.
“The Mentor Connector works to empower greatness in the lives of Rutland youth. We are thrilled to partner with Partners for Prevention to implement Sticker Shock. As we work with hundreds of youth across Rutland County, we know the importance of substance abuse prevention. The Sticker Shock event is a fun way for our youth to understand the negative outcomes of underage drinking while we dissuade adults from buying alcohol for minors,” said Chris Hultquist, the executive director of the Mentor Connector.
A recent Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey reported that among high school students, three in five have ever had alcohol; one in seven (14%) drank before age 13.
Todd Bouton, general manager of Farrell Distributing, added, “In Vermont, it is a Class 1 misdemeanor, with a punishment of up to $2,000 and up to two years in jail, or both. In addition to these penalties, a person found guilty may have his or her driver’s license suspended.”
#ProjectStickerShock is a national campaign aimed at reducing underage drinking by limiting youth access to alcohol. The goal is to educate adults who might provide alcohol to youth about the law that prohibits furnishing alcohol to minors. For more information, contact Rebecca Smith at rksmith@rrmc.org or 802.776.5515.
