Norwalk, CT- If you purchased alcohol over
Thanksgiving, you may have noticed “Liquor Stickers” available at your local package store. These stickers will be available throughout the holiday season, when alcohol consumption is common at many gatherings.
Liquor Stickers are an awareness initiative organized during holiday seasons by The Norwalk Partnership (TNP), the local community coalition to prevent substance use in teens and young adults.
Alcohol use by Norwalk youth
TNP’s recent survey found that 8% of Norwalk middle schoolers and 15% of Norwalk high school students were drinking during the pandemic--even though there were few social opportunities due to the quarantine.
Those statistics rise to 40% for Norwalk teens whose parents do not clearly communicate that they disapprove of underage drinking.
Preventing access
TNP’s campaign aims to create awareness that Norwalk teens who drink usually access alcohol at their own or a friend’s house.
One way adults can prevent underage drinking is by placing Liquor Stickers across the top of bottles of wine or liquor, so that youth have to break the seal or remove the sticker in order to drink.
Adults should also keep their liquor in a locked cabinet.
Parents should be aware that the state’s “Social Host Law” holds adults (and teens over age 18) responsible if someone under the age of 21 drinks at their place. Penalties include a $2000 fine and up to a year in prison.
Why does underage drinking matter?
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, teens who drink have 5 times higher odds of developing alcohol addiction compared to those who wait until the legal age of 21. Teens who drink are also more likely to experience depression and to engage in risky behaviors, such as unplanned or unprotected sexual activity, impaired driving, or accidents.
Binge drinking--defined as 4+ drinks for women or 5+ drinks for men in a two-hour period--is associated with alcohol poisoning, car crashes, burns, drowning, and other tragedies. Binge drinking is all too common on college campuses.
Where to find Liquor Stickers
Liquor Stickers are currently available near the cash register at the following package stores: Banner Wines, BevMax, Broad River Wines and Spirits, Harborview Wines, LaLa Liquor Stores, Liquor Center, Old Post Spirit Shops, One Stop Wine and Liquor, Wall Street Liquor, and Woodward Liquor.
Please thank these retailers for keeping our youth safe! And be sure to talk with your children about the risks of alcohol and other drugs. Visit www.thenorwalkpartnership.org/alcohol for more info or download a family guide at tinyurl.com/ALCguide4families
The Norwalk Partnership is a community coalition to prevent substance use among Norwalk youth and young adults. TNP is made up of interested community members and more than 20 stakeholder organizations, and is funded through grants to Positive Directions-The Center for Prevention & Counseling and the Human Services Council. Learn more and subscribe at www.thenorwalkpartnership.org and like and follow us @thenorwalkpartnership