Early County Family Connection recently partnered with local law enforcement for a Shoulder Tap operation. The Shoulder Tap program is used to determine if adults are willing to purchase alcohol for minors. During the operation, generally during the evening, a minor decoy, under the direct supervision of law enforcement officers, asks adults outside designated stores to buy alcohol on their behalf. The goals of the program are to make adults aware of the consequences of illegally purchasing or providing alcohol for minors, and more importantly, to educate them on the risks associated with underage drinking and change their perspective.
In this Early County Shoulder Tap operation, only 1 in 5 adults agreed to purchase alcohol for the minor decoy; using those statistics, only 20 percent of adults in Early County would buy alcohol for minors. If you think buying or providing alcohol for minors makes you the “cool adult,” these statistics paint a different picture: making the decision to provide or buy alcohol for people who are under 21 puts you in the minority and at risk of being arrested. If you’d like to learn more about underage drinking, strategies for dealing with adults you know who do provide alcohol to minors, or how to talk to your children about alcohol use, go to EarlyChoices.org or call us at 229.723.5122.