Sticker shock campaign at East Grand

    The Maine Youth Voices group at East Grand School, a group of high school students that reject underage drinking, held a Sticker Shock campaign on Dec. 19. The four students, who helped with the sticker shock, were Ben Latvis, Sharlene Maynard, John Massey, and Mitchell Bartlett. The leader of this group, Louise Latvis, is the coordinator for the HealthWays Grant. Jolene Maynard acted as a second adult chaperone.
    The HealthWays Grant works within the Downeast Alcohol Abuse Prevention Collaborative, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, office of safe and drug-free schools.
    The main mission of the collaborative program is to delay, prevent, and reduce underage alcohol use and abuse in Washington County. The Maine Youth Voices group recognizes that there are many healthy and safe activities for people to participate in without indulging in alcohol and drugs.
    For the sticker shock initiative, students placed bright orange stickers on alcohol packages that state; “Providing Alcohol to Minors is ILLEGAL.” They also stated “fines are up to $2000 and/or up to one year in jail.”
    This is a message that people should think about before they supply alcohol or leave alcohol accessible to minors.
    The guidelines for the Maine Youth Voices group are to place stickers on multi-packs, not directly on cans and bottles. Brand names and bar codes should not be covered. Students should have adult supervision. Only adults over age 21 should handle the alcohol packages that are moved.
    Store requests, expectations, or restrictions were considered. The three stores that participated were Knight’s Yankee Grocery located in central Danforth, the Mill Yard located on the Houlton Road in Danforth, and Grand Lake Variety located on the Houlton Road in Weston.
    “The Maine Youth Voices would like to thank these stores for their willingness to participate in a project that helps our community keep our young people safe,” said Latvis.