"Project Sticker Shock" Set for May 11 to Curb Underage Drinking
The Evanston Substance Abuse Prevention Council (ESAPC) will be visiting local stores that sell alcohol on May 11th to place stickers on doors and alcoholic beverages warning of the dangers of adults buying alcohol for minors.
ESAPC is a local coalition whose mission is to increase the health of Evanston youth by preventing alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use through community-level strategies. The coalition consists of multiple groups, one of which is working on implementing Evanston’s first Sticker Shock campaign. Group members include: Evanston Police Department, PEER Services, McGaw YMCA, Baha’i Temple, Evanston Sentinel Newspaper, local businesses and youth.
Sticker Shock is a statewide and national campaign designed to reach adults who might purchase alcohol legally and provide it to minors. Stickers warning about the penalties of furnishing alcohol to minors are placed on multi-packs of beer, wine coolers, and other alcohol products that might appeal to underage drinkers. Project Sticker Shock is sponsored by the Illinois Liquor Control Commission and stickers were developed by the public education arm of ILCC – the Don’t Be Sorry campaign – whose mission is to reduce youth access to alcohol by educating all members of the community.
On Wednesday, May 11 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., youth and adult volunteers will travel to all participating retail liquor establishments in Evanston to hang posters, decals on cooler doors, and post stickers on alcohol packaging. Materials used in each establishment will be pre-approved and determined through discussion with the business owner or manager and an ESAPC representative. The ESAPC plans to do Sticker Shock twice annually, once in May and once in October.
Data collected from Evanston Township High School youth shows that adult provision of alcohol for youth is a problem in the community. According to March 2011 data, 58% of Evanston youth who drank alcohol (in the 30 days before the survey) got the alcohol from at least one of the following sources: a knowing parent, a friend’s knowing parent, an older sibling, a friend over 21, or a stranger who purchased it for them. Evanston data is echoed in multiple studies showing that the majority of alcohol consumed by underage drinkers is purchased by those over the legal drinking age – often times by parents, other family members, and friends.
To find out more or to get involved, please contact the Coalition Coordinator, Maura Mooney, at esapc.coordinator@gmail.com or visit their website at http://esapc.weebly.com.
Access Survey Results
Youth’s source of alcohol obtainment in the 30 days prior to the survey. Each source was asked separately, so youth could respond to access by multiple sources. Percentages are based on youth who reported drinking in the 30 days prior to the survey. Dark pink percentages represent access that will begin to be addressed through the Sticker Shock campaign.
Additional ESAPC/Community Efforts to Address Alcohol Access by Youth
