Tossed Booze Bottles At Vernon Sledding Hill Renews Nip Concerns

VERNON, CT — Apparently some folks sledding at Vernon Center Middle School didn't read the memo about the town's "Nip Responsibly" campaign, and on Thursday it prompted town officials to renew their vigilance about the program.

A littering spree painted a vivid picture this week at the crushed stone lot at the lower end of the VCMS campus that serves the school's athletic field and a popular sledding hill. Five "nip" alcohol bottles was strewn about the far end of the lot, along with a crushed case of beer. Hand warmers were also discarded, pointing toward the sledding crowd as the culprit.

The litter was in clear view of children being picked up by parents at VCMS.

The scene did not sit well with town officials.

"Town staff works hard to keep our parks and public spaces clean and safe. We welcome everyone to use our parks, but urge them to clean up after themselves and to not violate our local ordinances related to the use of alcohol, tobacco and other substances," Town Administrator Michael Purcaro said. "I have asked our police department to keep an eye on these locations. People should remember that fines for littering can be substantial."

Purcaro also pointed to Vernon's "Nip Responsibly" campaign In September, state officials declared it the model for all municipalities as an extension of the "nickel -per-nip" law that went into effect in 2021 to call attention to both drinking and driving and the habit of tossing the small bottles equivalent to one shot out car windows.

The law imposed a 5-cent surcharge on every nip bottle purchase with the revenue going proportionately to towns to help clean up the mess.

Vernon, to-date, has received $97,137.10 in nip surcharge reimbursements. Nips sold in Vernon during the last tallying period, April 1 to Sept. 30, totaled 540,395. Town officials have partnered up with the local "Opportunity Works" adult special needs program to clean up areas of town prone to litter involving nip bottles. In the fall, clients proudly showed off several large garbage bags full of nips that once were litter.

The irony of the VCMS situation was not lost on Purcaro.

"We further urge people not to drink and drive and to not litter," he said. "That is the goal of our 'Nip responsibly' campaign. We ask everyone to help keep Vernon beautiful."

A leading town official went to VCMS himself to clean up the mess that had been buried in snow but emerged after this weeks rain.

Vernon Police Chief John Kelley said those at sledding hills who feel the need to consume alcohol will be arrested for drunken driving if they get behind the wheel while under the influence. He said a simpler enforcement tool is potential littering violations, outlined in both town ordinances and state statutes.

He pointed to a state law that imposes a $770 fine for littering on "public land," like a school campus.

"When we say nip responsibly, we mean it," Kelley said. "We will crack down on littering in public places and potential drunken driving as a result of drinking at the sledding locations. There are a lot of children and families at the sledding hills and it's not a good idea to consume alcohol and litter while at them."