I had trouble stifling a snicker as I read this article in the Times today.
Stickers to stem the sale of alcohol to minors? Seriously???
The Illinois Liquor Control Commission is sending representatives throughout the state to place stickers on beer and liquor packaging. The stickers read as follows:
WARNING – Providing Alcohol to Minors is Illegal, Unhealthy & Unnacceptable
Soooo … people didn’t know that before?
Please excuse my cynicism, but I think the money for this program could have been much better spent to support enforcement of the current laws and/or treatment of alcohol addiction. This seems like a farce to showboat in front of the media so it looks like the state is doing something.
Any bets on how soon these stickers start showing up as decorations on the inside of high school lockers?
6 responses so far ↓
1
mortonmalaise
// May 16, 2008 at 9:32 am
As long as the liquor and beer companies keep marketing their products towards teenagers, there is going to be underage drinking. Anyone who thinks all these flavored vodkas and fruity malt beverages aren’t directed at kids is only fooling themselves.
2
Michael Davis
// May 16, 2008 at 12:09 pm
I’m thinking that as long as parents shy away from topics such as alcohol and drugs instead of acknowledging and educating their kids about it, there will be underage drinking. And as long as it is illegal or “rebellious” to do so, it will happen. It’s rare to find someone in this world who didn’t drink underage. I don’t think we should blame the alcohol companies.
And to be honest, fruity drinks were created not for teenagers as much as they were for women and those of us looking to avoid the “beer scene.”
3
Knight in Dragonland
// May 16, 2008 at 10:32 pm
I don’t know, Michael. These companies know their demographics … just like the tobacco companies know they need to hook kids before age 18 or they’re very unlikely to become lifelong smokers. These companies spend billions on marketing, and they don’t waste their money.
4
Michael
// May 17, 2008 at 5:15 am
I think the enforcement is bass-ackwards. Instead of just going after those who sell to minors I think some of the responsibility ought to be put upon the minors themselves. Front page news every morning, a list of the kids convicted (not just arrested) of underage drinking and their 1 month jail sentence would go a long way toward ending the problem. Also list the sentence of the moron who sold or provided the booze.
5
mortonmalaise
// May 20, 2008 at 9:56 pm
Anyone 17 and over arrested in the Village of Morton has their name in the paper. There are A LOT of illegal consumption charges that show up. You can always tell when a party gets busted because the Police Report has 10-20 people between the ages of 17-20 arrested for the same thing.
6
Kevin Lowe
// Jun 3, 2008 at 4:33 pm
Stickers??
Allow me to quote a Monty Python skit: “What a stupid concept!”
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