KHS students and merchants make a point about preventing underage drinking as part of ‘Sticker Shock’ Campaign. Top photo shows Rob Renz of Spirits of Kearny with students. In bottom photo, REACH advisor/teacher Robert Kelly is with students at Tony’s Deli.
KEARNY –
Ten Kearny High School students and four advisers recently teamed up with two local merchants in an effort to heighten awareness about the pitfalls of underage drinking.
On Oct. 29, the students – members of the community service REACH Club – visited Kearny Spirits and Tony’s Deli to fasten more than 530 stickers on alcoholic beverages as part of the “Sticker Shock Campaign.”
Students who participated were Giovanna Scrimo, Lenoardo Teixeira, Sydney Viscuso, Savannah Iverson, Keiry Tapia, Ryelle Seda, Gianna Alves, Erin Mamede, Caitlyn Crespo and Amber Crispin.
The stickers warn: “Providing alcohol to those under the age of 21 is illegal [for which convictions can bring] up to six months jail time and/or a $1,000 fine.”
Overseeing the campaign was the Kearny Prevention Coalition, a group formed from the Kearny Municipal Alliance which focuses on underage drinking as a primary public health concern due to the consequences of binge drinking, driving while intoxicated, alcohol poisoning and high-risk behavior.
The bright green stickers were provided by the Hudson County Coalition for a Drug-Free Community (HCCDFC), which was awarded a grant Oct. 1 to mentor the Kearny Prevention Coalition for up to two years on prevention efforts.
Rob Renz, owner of Spirits of Kearny, said: “It was a pleasure to have the students come into the store and bring awareness to underage drinking. Although we always make sure to check ID, there may be parents who may not understand the danger in providing to teens. The stickers are hard to miss and are a really great reminder to keep our Kearny youth safe.”
To support these efforts, the HCCDFC launched a billboard campaign aimed at preventing under-age consumption called “Parents Who Host Lose the Most,” aimed at discouraging parents and community members from serving alcohol to youth at home parties.
For more information on the HCCCDFC and Kearny Coalition, call 201-552-2264 or visit www.hudsoncountycoalition.org.
