New stickers aim to cut down distribution of alcohol to minors

Some Indiana youths are sticking it to those of age who buy alcohol for their underage counterparts.\nIndiana Point of Youth, a youth advisory group aimed at reforming substance-abuse and public-safety laws, started distributing stickers April 24 to stores that sell alcohol, Indiana Criminal Justice Institute Executive Director Neil Moore said. The stickers carry a warning to those considering buying alcohol for minors, saying they are subject to penalties, Moore said.\nHe said the stickers, which aren’t mandatory for stores to display, are supposed to be placed in prominent areas. They are provided and funded by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute and distributed by the Indiana Point of Youth, who are working with the excise police and local coordinating councils.\nBob Bowden, manager at Village Pantry, 1831 E. 10th St., said he had never heard of the program. He said the program probably wouldn’t work, but any tools he gets to fight crime are helpful. \n“I don’t think it would, but it wouldn’t hurt,” he said, referring to the program’s probability of working.\nThe program comes on the heels of a new law that raises the penalty for providing alcohol to minors from a Class C infraction to a Class B one. That law, which takes effect July 1, raises the fine from up to $500 to up to $1,000, Moore said.\nAccording to the Indiana Point of Youth Web site, the youth organization claims to be a link between young people and policy makers. Its members, high school students from around the state, have campaigned for issues such as keg registration, an increase in tobacco tax and measures meant to curb drug use. \nMoore said the group previously worked on “action plans” to battle methamphetamine but last year decided to focus, in part, on underage drinking.\nEight members of Indiana Point of Youth came up with the program and, along with two adult facilitators, went to the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute for funding.\nMoore said he hopes the program raises awareness, adding he doesn’t know how successful the program will be.\n“We’re kind of waiting to see,” he said. “I think it’s a relatively unique program.” \nNora McFarland, a recent IU graduate, said the stickers would have little impact on people’s decisions to buy alcohol for minors. She said that by the time people were in the store, ready to get the alcohol, they had already made a commitment and seeing a sticker would be unlikely to change their minds.\nHowever, she said the penalty might deter people.\nSophomore Ashley Hofecker said the stickers would probably be a deterrent for some. She said some people are afraid of getting into trouble by buying alcohol for minors.\n“I know a lot of people who are kind of scared to do that,” she said.