Coalition warning against providing alcohol to minors as hunting season begins

PESHTIGO -- In Marinette County, as the gun deer season gets set to kick off on Saturday, November 17th, kids are hitting stores and setting out reminders that alcohol is an adult beverage -- even during hunting season.

Members of the Healthy Youth Coalition are participating in a sticker shock campaign -- placing yellow reminders on bottles of liquor to discourage adults from buying alcohol for minors.

"Especially around the hunting season, when there's going to be cabin parties and people celebrating maybe their first buck," Sarah Hanson with the Healthy Youth Coalition said. 

Wynter Truesdell is a senior at Carney High School in Michigan. She says underage parties are common.

"Usually a younger person who isn't old enough to buy alcohol has friends who are old enough to buy alcohol. Those friends attend that party, with the alcohol and all the people who are old enough to have alcohol, bring the alcohol," Truesdell said. 

The sticker shock campaign is covering Marinette County -- 2,200 little yellow warnings to anyone buying alcohol.

"It's a good way to draw awareness to this issue, and inform the adults of this. When we ask the youth they say that the number one place they're getting their alcohol is either from parents or from other adults," Hanson said.

The penalty for selling or providing alcohol to a minor can reach $500. 

"It helps the young kids realize that we're watching you. That you're not going to be getting beer underage, and that older folks are going to take note that hey, it's not a good idea to give this beer out to these teenagers," Eagle Express store assistant manager Monica Halverson said.

Peshtigo police agree.

"I think it's a good idea all the way around. Just to make sure you're not putting alcohol in the hands of a minor," Peshtigo Police Chief Kent Kline said.

The coalition also brought its message to Coleman on Thursday, November 15th. The group plans to canvass the two-county region again before Christmas.