City of Alexandria Project Sticker Shock Campaign Highlights Consequences of Providing Alcohol to Youth

Page updated on April 23, 2023 at 12:00 PM
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For Immediate Release- April 18, 2023

This Saturday, April 22, the City of Alexandria will “shock” local shoppers by hosting the Project Sticker Shock Campaign. This youth-led event will kick off with a press conference at Charles Houston Recreation Center on April 22 at 10 a.m. The kick off features City, youth, and community leaders speaking up about the importance of preventing access to alcohol by underage youth.

Following the press conference, teams of youth and adults will place warning stickers, provided by the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, on multi-packs of alcohol to highlight the legal consequences of providing alcohol to persons under 21. All participating retail stores will receive a certificate in recognition of their partnership to prevent underage alcohol access.

This campaign aims to reach community members ages 21 and older who may purchase alcohol legally and then illegally provide it to a person under age 21 – also referred to as a second-party sale. If a retail employee observes specific activity of a second party, such as passing of money, participation in selection, or bringing the alcoholic beverage to the checkout counter, ID should be requested of the second party. The sale may be legally refused if the second party is under age 21.

In Virginia, it is a Class 1 misdemeanor to provide alcohol to a minor. It is also illegal for anyone to use a fake ID to purchase alcohol. Adults who provide alcohol to persons under age 21 can face the following penalties upon conviction:

  • A $2,500 fine for each young person provided an alcoholic beverage
  • Up to 12 months in jail
  • Loss of driver’s license for up to 12 months.

This event will be hosted by the Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria (SAPCA), the Alexandria Police Department; the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office; the Department of Community and Human Services; the Department of Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities; and the Alexandria City High School U.S. Army Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) program.

SAPCA is an alliance of parents, youth, schools, city health and recreation agencies, media, nonprofits, businesses, policymakers, and law enforcement. Our mission is to engage diverse sectors of the community in collaborative, cross-cultural, and comprehensive substance abuse prevention efforts that result in a reduction of underage substance use and abuse in the City of Alexandria.

Visit alexandriava.gov/SAPCA to learn more about the coalition, including ways to get involved.

To report concerns regarding the sale or provision of alcohol to persons under age 21, call the Alexandria Police Department’s non-emergency number at 703.746.4444 or file a report online to the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority.

For inquiries from the news media, please contact Emma Beall at emma.beall@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.3670.

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