Project "Sticker Shock" Hits Akwesasne

Project "Sticker Shock" is a community awareness program designed to prevent people 21 years and older from purchasing alcohol and providing it to underage individuals. The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe's Alcohol/Chemical Dependency Prevention Program recently teamed up with Salmon River high school students to visit participating stores and place stickers with a warning message about the penalties for providing alcohol to anyone under 21.

By participating in this event, students are taking a proactive stand against underage drinking and its related problems in hopes of creating a safer, healthier lifestyle. Project Sticker Shock also seeks to increase visibility and compliance of underage drinking laws.

Stickers with messages, are placed on alcoholic beverages in participating stores which warn adults of the legal consequences of providing alcohol to minors. Not only can adults who provide alcohol to minors face up to one year in jail and up to $1,000 fine, but youth who drink under age may damage their developing brains and are far more likely to have problems with alcohol later in life.

"We do Sticker Shock twice a year", explained A/CD Prevention Specialist, Olivia Cook. "The students go around in the community putting stickers on alcoholic beverages to raise awareness and to educate. The community members see the stickers, even if they are not buying alcohol, by just passing by the coolers. It's educating the community, it's educating the people selling the alcohol and it's educating the students placing the stickers. We do this twice a year, at this time, around the holidays, and in May right around prom and graduation time".

Sticker Shock is an opportunity for the youth and participating local stores to work together to create a safer, healthier lifestyle by combating the problem of underage drinking. Alcohol has been identified as the number one drug choice among teens and one of the easiest substances to obtain. The Sticker Shock Campaign hopes to cause adults to think twice before making it any easier for youth to access alcohol.

Sticker Shock has had a positive reaction from storeowners and workers. "Store owners like the message, they like the student participation, that they put the stickers on the alcohol themselves and can explain why they are doing it" commented Ms. Cook. "It also opens the student's eyes as to how much alcohol is in our community. It may be just a sticker but it symbolizes prevention and it symbolizes education. We are helping to educate the community and education is important".