Schools
District 279 High School Students Bring Awareness to Underage Drinking
Student members of teen group Action for Reaction partnered with local liquor stores to remind adults about underage drinking laws.
Cake flavored vodka, alcoholic lemonade, and spiked cranberry drinks appeal to many adults. But these sweet drinks also lure in many underage drinkers, according to student Jack Lunt.
So, last December, Lunt and his peers decided to do something about it.
Through Action for Reaction’s “sticker shock” campaign, Maple Grove Senior High School and Osseo Senior High students worked to stop adults from buying booze for teens. On Dec. 13 and 14, students meandered through and in Maple Grove and placed “Know the Law, Stop Underage Drinking” stickers on beverages.
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“We really just wanted to bring awareness to the issue,” Lunt said. “We spent two days putting stickers on as many drinks as we could.”
While Lunt admits that it’s hard to know how effective the campaign was, MGM Wine and Spirits co-owner Cole Pederson said that the stickers made his customers stop and ask questions. “The students were not shy about the quantity of stickers and tags they used,” Pederson said. “We explained the goals of the campaign to our customers and they thought it was a great idea.”
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According to Minnesota state law, it is illegal for an adult to provide alcohol to a minor. Maple Grove takes this one step further through its social host ordinance, which makes it illegal for an adult to provide an environment for minors to drink in.
“Alcohol is a substance that can be very easily abused,” Pederson said. “The more we can do to prevent underage drinking, the better.”
Preventing underage drinking is just one of Action for Reaction’s missions. The teen group is part of Partnership for Change—a conglomeration of local parents, students and law enforcement who aim to reduce teen drug and alcohol use in northwest Hennepin County.
“It is important for youth to receive a message of ‘no-use’ from their peers,” said Teresa Lunt, Jack Lunt’s mother and Partnership for Change parent member. “Action for Reaction is a powerful force in reaching our youth.”
Next summer, Jack Lunt will join thousands of freshman college students at the University of Minnesota. But one thing he won’t join in on is underage drinking. When asked if he can still have fun at parties without drinking, his answer was simple: “Yes, definitely.”
