Those looking to purchase beer and other alcoholic beverages on Shelter Island this summer may notice new stickers designed to discourage the purchase of alcohol for those underage.
Those stickers are there thanks to the combined efforts of community groups and law enforcement on Shelter Island. As part of an nationwide effort to combat undergae drinking dubbed “Sticker Shock,” the stickers are placed to remind adults of the legal responsibility they could bear for purchasing alcohol for underage drinkers, including fines up to $1,000 or one year in jail.
The West Hampton Beach based group HUGS, or Human Understanding & Growth Seminars, along with Shelter Island Communities That Care and the combined forces to support the effort that gathered the support of retailers, youth, community members, and law enforcement to lessen the prevalence of underage drinking.
According to Kym Laube of HUGS, underage drinking represents a greater problem on the East End then in other parts of Long Island, and the Sticker Shock program is designed to encourage the community to get involved in combatting drinking by minors.
Shelter Island Police Officer Walter Richards agreed, saying that underage drinking is "not a teen problem, but a community problem."
"Adults, youth, law enforcement and retail stores need to be part of the solution," he said.
And community involvement is exactly what the local implementation of Sticker Shock has achieved. Several retailers on Shelter Island have agreed to participate in the program, including Dandy's Liquors, The Dory, Eagle Deli, and Laube says that businesses have really embraced the program, and that through Sticker Shock, they are building further relationships with the community.
Interested in a Project "Sticker Shock" Campaign in your community?
Contact the HUGS, Inc. Office at (631) 288-9505 for more information.
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