Alcohol 'Sticker Shock' Set in Hackettstown

Sometimes knowing the law doesn’t stop someone from breaking it. For a Warren County organization, the time to “shock” consumers into understanding the law is now.

That’s why the Community Action Partnership (CAP) of Warren County is spending this week inside seven alcohol-distribution centers, labeling multi-packs of beer and other packaged goods during its Sticker Shock campaign.

As a project coordinator with Community Prevention Resources of Warren County, Dorothy DelCampo is leading the Sticker Shock campaign, citing its timeliness as a major reason why this week is so important.

On Feb. 3, the 47th Super Bowl will be played in New Orleans. The annual championship game is one of the biggest party days of the year across the nation, garnering more than 100 million viewers each year.

With that comes the want to celebrate with alcohol, DelCampo says, and not just for adults.

The goal of Community Prevention Resources is to create a healthy environment for all residents, but focuses heavily on minors. The Sticker Shock campaign focuses on decreasing the amount of adults who purchase alcohol for minors.

This week, an adult member of the organization will accompany one or multiple youths into a liquor store and place stickers on the multi-packs of alcohol. Store owners in seven different locations have agreed to be part of the program, DelCampo said.

Those stores include:

• Shop Rite Wines & Liquors and Valley Liquors, Hackettstown
• Shaken Not Stirred, Phillipsburg
• Harmony Spirits & Grocery, Harmony
• JD’s Wines and Liquors, Blairstown
• Town & Country Liquors and Warren County Liquors, Washington

The sticker, shaped like a stop sign, reads “Know The Law?” with information beneath, reading “Up to 6 months in jail / $1000 fine for providing alcohol to anyone under 21.”

The campaign and decal is designed to raise awareness, DelCampo said.

“It’s basically giving the message that, bottom line, (buying alcohol for minors) is an awful idea.”

With seven retailers in the county volunteering, this is the most participation the program has seen in its few years, DelCampo said.

Sticker Shock isn’t limited to the Super Bowl time of year either, DelCampo mentioned, as the group hopes to carry out the same campaign or something similar in May and June around prom season and graduations.