Teens Raise Awareness to Underage Drinking with Project Sticker Shock

For underage drinkers looking to get their hands on some beer, many turn to older siblings, adult friends or even parents to buy them alcohol.

But three local teens, with the help of the Burr Ridge Police Department, are changing attitudes about underage drinking one sticker at a time. They are part of a statewide initiative called Project Sticker Shock and on Friday, they canvassed neighborhood alcohol retailers with yellow and black stickers reminding the community that providing alcohol to minors is illegal and unhealthy.

“I don’t think it’s hard [for teens to get alcohol],” said Hinsdale South junior Nicole Tornabene. “But I don’t think it’s easy either.” She added that getting alcohol is all about knowing the right person.  

Tornabene, along with Downers Grove South sophomores Rocco Zucchero and Zack Garcia, placed stickers throughout Brookhaven Marketplace, County Wine Merchant, Springhill Suites and the Shell gas station on Frontage Road. The project — a joint effort between local Operation Snowball chapters, the Illinois Liquor Control Commission and other state and local groups — hopes to raise awareness to underage drinking and to laws that prohibit providing alcohol to minors (other than your own child in your home).    

“It’s a great program,” said Burr Ridge Police Chief John Madden. “If they can reach one adult, it’s worth it.”

Madden said that with prom and summer vacation around the corner, the police see more incidences of underage drinking where the alcohol is provided by an adult.

Some parents allow underage drinkers to drink in their home and rationalize, “at least they’re safe in my home,” said Burr Ridge Police Officer Angie Zucchero, Rocco Zucchero’s aunt. But by doing this, she said, parents send a mixed message.

“Adults are saying 'it’s OK to break the law and we’ll help you break the law,'” she said. Adding that besides being illegal, offering alcohol to a teen can have negative effects on brain development. For a list of health risks, visit the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

If an adult is caught providing alcohol to a minor, they can be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, a misdemeanor charge that can include jail time and a fine, according to Madden.