If you’ve purchased beer at Riverhead Beverage in the past two weeks, you probably noticed brightly colored “WARNING” stickers on the packaging. That’s the result of an effort dubbed by the Riverhead Community Awareness Program dubbed “Project Sticker Shock” aimed at reminding adults that it’s illegal to purchase or provide alcohol to anyone under the age of 21.
Riverhead High School students, joined by Councilman John Dunleavy and Police Chief David Hegermiller, slapped the warning stickers on beverage packaging throughout the Osborn Avenue store last week.
Riverhead Beverage owners Kevin McKillop and Rob Scott quickly embraced the idea and were eager to participate in the program, CAP executive director Felicia Scocozza said.
“We thought it would be a good thing to do since we’re a part of the community and we are advocates for preventing underage drinking,” Scott said as he watched the kids and town officials attaching stickers to his products. “We want to keep everybody safe and have younger people realize the dangers of alcohol consumption.”
“We have very strict policies,” Scott said. Everyone who works at Riverhead Beverage is very careful to ID anyone who looks to be under age 25.
“And if someone looks like they’re buying for underage people, we won’t sell it to to them,” he said. “We have cameras all around the outside of the store and can watch what’s going on out there on closed circuit TV— and we do.”
Riverhead Beverage is the first place in town to participate, Scocozza said.
“We thought it would be good especially since we’re so close to the high school,” Scott said.
“We’re hoping other retailers will see how well this goes and will volunteer to participate too,” Scocozza said.
Dunleavy, a retired Riverhead cop who worked as the town police force’s juvenile aid officer, said he believes the stickers will help deter a child or some adult from buying beer for a child.
“It’s very important to prevent underage drinking,” Dunleavy said.
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