FARMINGTON —  Four youth groups in Greater Franklin County kicked off “Project Sticker Shock,” a youth-led initiative to change adult attitudes about selling and providing alcohol to minors.

The project is sponsored by the Maine Office of Substance Abuse to bring attention to the issue of underage drinking and the adults who provide alcohol to minors.

Local youth from Franklin County are part of a movement of youth statewide working with participating stores to spread “Sticker Shock” waves in an effort to reach adults who might be tempted to buy alcohol for youth under the age of 21.

The florescent orange and black stickers stand out on the beer cases and provide a reminder: “Providing Alcohol to Minors is Illegal! Fines are up to $2,000 &/ or up to one year in jail!”

The following local stores participated in the project: Cumberland Farms in Livermore Falls; My Dad’s Place in Jay; Riverside Kwik Stop in Jay; Tranten’s in Kingfield; Bear Pond Variety in Turner; and Long Green Variety in Livermore Falls.

“We think that it is good to bring awareness to the fact that providing alcohol to a minor is illegal,” said Lynn Brennick, owner of My Dad’s Place. When adults supply alcohol to youth it sends a very mixed message. Underage drinking is not just a teen problem but a community problem as well. Adults, youth, law enforcement and retail stores all need to be part of the solution.

The Sticker Shock Project was introduced in Maine in February 2001 by youth in the Fort Kent area who designed the stickers and posters that are now being used.

Healthy Community Coalition of Greater Franklin County advocates for responsible sales of alcohol in stores in Greater Franklin County. HCC employees and store employees helped kick off the event by holding cases of beer or wine, so that the youth groups involved could apply the stickers.

For more information, contact Christine Bruen at 779-2927 or by email at [email protected].

Four youth groups kicked off “Project Sticker Shock,” a youth-led initiative to change adult attitudes about selling and providing alcohol to minors. From left are Mickenzy Breton, Daniel Barry, Shawna Gordon and Lewis Krupp of Spruce Mountain High School’s Jobs for Maine’s Graduates class.