Elgin teens post warnings against underage drinking
Adults buying alcohol Friday at 13 grocery, convenience and liquor stores across the area were in line for a visual warning against facilitating underage drinking, thanks to the efforts of teens with several substance abuse prevention coalitions.
Teen volunteers and adult supervisors in Elgin tagged bottles with warning notes at Villa Liquors and five other locations, while their counterparts in Addison, Buffalo Grove, Mundelein, Naperville, Oak Park, River Forest and Wheaton joined in.
The work was the first time substance abuse prevention groups across the suburbs coordinated to display warning messages at the same time, said Jordan Esser, community initiatives coordinator for the DuPage County Health Department.
The project has been going on for three years in DuPage to warn adult consumers about the legal pitfalls of buying alcohol for minors.
Esser said a state law makes adults legally responsible for underage drinking within their home, with or without their knowledge, and for the actions of those who drank at their home even after they leave.
Organizers said the warnings posted Friday come in time for graduation parties and the Fourth of July.