A coalition of local community groups made up of many young volunteers joined forces on Dec. 9 during a “Sticker Shock Campaign,” to alert local alcohol retailers of the dangers underage drinking presents to young people. The groups made in-person visits to various stores in Community Boards 5, 7, and 8 with oral presentations, stickers, and posters reminding both store owners and customers that it is illegal and dangerous to provide alcohol to anyone under the age of 21.

 

The campaign was spearheaded by “We Engage in Prevention Awareness,” (WEPA), a community coalition seeking to eliminate substance abuse, especially among families in the Bronx facing multi-generational addiction issues. WEPA works under the auspices of the Groundswell Group, a nonprofit grassroots organization formed in the Bronx in the late 1990s which provides addiction workshops and training programs, especially with faith-based groups. Outreach efforts like the Sticker Shock Campaign focus on issues affecting the lives of young people between the ages of 10 and 21.

 

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIABA), underage drinkers experience higher rates of unsafe sexual encounters, and can also become victims or perpetrators of interpersonal violence. In addition, they experience difficulties in school or with law enforcement. Underage drinking can also affect brain development, sometimes resulting in premature death, including death by suicide.

 

The Rev. Addie Banks, executive director at WEPA, was pleased with the energy and activism displayed by the volunteers, mostly high school and college age students, who participated in the campaign. “Overall, I’d say the campaign was a success,” Banks said, adding that they were excited to be engaged in the project and were happy to be out on the streets and actually taking proactive measures to address the problem.

 

“They want to be civically engaged and active in their community,” she said. Banks also noticed a receptive attitude from store owners, saying merchants were really happy to have their assistance.

The volunteers assigned to the CB7 area numbered around 17, including two NYPD Youth Coordination Officers tasked with supervising members of the 52nd Precinct Law Enforcement Explorers, commonly referred to as the Explorers, a program that provides young men and women from the city’s diverse communities with an introduction to a career in law enforcement or a related field in the criminal justice system. The program is geared toward youth aged 14 to 20.

 

The group’s first stop was at C Town Supermarket located on Sedgwick Avenue. Dilenia Torres is the owner and welcomed the group which easily crowded the narrow aisles. She did not mind their brief visit, during which they placed four awareness stickers by beer display area and a campaign poster next to the sliding door at the front entrance.

 

Speaking to the Norwood News in Spanish, Torres expressed gratitude for the signage warning about underage drinking. “It’s a good idea because young people may not be aware that alcohol is dangerous to their health,” she said. “If they see a campaign that warns them [about those dangers] then it’s a good initiative.”

 

Torres was also impressed by the number of young people who were part of the campaign. “I saw plenty of young people which means they must be supportive [of the campaign],” she said.

 

The group included volunteers from the local church, Our Lady of Angels, the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition (NWBCCC), while members of the National Guard helped organizers in the CB5 community.

 

The City’s health department (DHMH) has conducted studies to determine the correlation between levels of alcoholism in a given community, and the availability of alcohol through either liquor stores or other retailers authorized to sell alcoholic drinks.