Anti-teen drinking campaign in Genesee County June 20

That will not deter one under age drinker. But the campaign could still be effective if the stickers were aimed at the adults who are buying the beer for kids. If they would list the fines, court costs, lawyers fees and liability if anything goes bad, they might think twice. Have a second sticker that lists all of the punishments for DUI and more people might walk to the store or the local Tavern. It's a thought that I'm suprised no one has thought of already, unless they already have.

George,
That is a great idea! I will let the "Powers that be" know of your suggestion!
Gary

I think its a total waste of money to put stickers on "booze". I am all for education and prevention but a stupid sticker is not going to help !

I walked past several kids loitering outside a convenience store a while back. A man was at the beer cooler. He walked to the counter, bought the beer and, as I was walking out, he was handing it to the kids who by now were waiting in a car.
Stickers wouldn't have an effect on this guy. He was totally out of it, and in no condition to read.
We are assuming that those who do this have a modicum of intelligence. If they did, then they wouldn't be buying the beer in the first place for minors.
People who buy alcohol for minors are motivated only by greed. They get to pocket whatever the kids are willing to pay to have them walk into a store.
The only lesson someone like that will learn is from a court date.

The 21 drinking age is BS...When young men and women are enlisting in the military to fight,we will arrest them if they have a beer..It was 18 when i was younger and that worked..You can vote and get married at 18 but no beer for you...Lets be real,Kids are smoking ,buying drugs,and we are going to put sticker on beer and that will decrease under age drinking..Cmon this is just some feel good measure that won't change a dam thing..GCASA needs to find reasons why they should be around..It cost alot of tax payer money to run.Creates alot of social worker jobs in New York State..They now offer kids with gambling problems help..How much do we have to pay for the councilor ..What about under age smoking,that to me, poses greater health risk than having a few beers..Go by GCASA during the day and see all the kids smoking in front of the property..what are they doing about that..If they are under age they shouldn't be smoking.. I got it ..Lets put stickers on the cigarettes that will stop then..

I think it's ridiculous. You're going to have two kinds of underage drinkers. Those that are responsible and those that aren't. The latter just ruin it for the former.

I'm not supporting underage drinking. I'm supporting anyone with enough brain cells to make intelligent decisions, whether your 18 or 58.

Well first of all the stickers do target adults and list what could happen to them if they buy alcohol for an underage person. And it is done by underage kids who believe that underage drinking is wrong and they are trying to help educate at least one person. I think it is great that our youth are going to be out there doing something positive in our community, I think more people should be supporting them. Second of all GCASA is about a lot more than "those people standing out front smoking" who by the way are not always underage, as a matter of fact I believe the majority of them are older. Maybe people should do their research and find out how much GCASA actually does within and for our community before they bad mouth an organization that not only helps people with addictions, but also works to prevent our young children from falling into harmful, drug and alcohol use. GCASA utilizes State, Federal, and private funding.

The drinking age shouldn't even be 21. If one gets caught serving a minor/hosting an underage drinking party, they get charged with "unlawfully dealing with a child" and/or "endangering the welfare of a child".
Isn't sending an 18 year old kid to <insert either war here> "endangering the welfare of a child" ? A 19 year old kid gets MAIMED in Iraq (supposedly to keep us safe), and then none of us over 21 folks can give that kid (war hero) a beer??? That is wrong on a LOT of levels!

If kids are just allowed to drink at 18, they wouldn't FREAK OUT and binge drink to the point of alcohol poisoning as soon as they get to college!!!

DWI is just caused by (REALLY dumb) people in general. There are plenty of DWI's in the paper each week that are the fault of ADULTS!

LOWER the drinking age back to 18, and maybe raise the driving age instead! More kids are going to cause fatal accidents from TEXTING and driving than drinking and driving!

If there is an age when someone is considered an adult, then it should be the same across the board.
Either one has to be 21 or older to:
join the military
get married
drink
vote
drive after dark
have a hunting license
hold a pistol permit
etc.
or
you have to reach the age of 18 in order to accept the above mentioned responsibilities.
How do you tell an 18 year old that he/she is responsible enough to vote, and to serve our country, get married (can't drink the champaign) but not old enough to take on the adult responsibility associated with drinking?
I have no dog in this fight. Drinking didn't appeal to me when I was 18 and it certainly doesn't now. No specific reason, it just wasn't my thing.
What is my thing is seeing that there is some equality in our social structure. It isn't there now.

You can vote and go to war, but can’t have a beer.

Anyone see the unfairness of some 19 year old private in the 10th Mountain Division, up in Watertown, earning the Bronze Star in combat, then being a law breaker if he has a beer back home to celebrate coming back alive?

And not to mention the liability risks to our colleges and universities when we all know that the college scene is a haven for under age drinking.

There are huge issues including the dangers of binge drinking but maybe changing the drinking age back to 18 or 19 will bring it out of the shadows so police and colleges can regulate it better.

Howard how about a poll on this...should you be able to drink at 18 or 21...I wonder were the public stands on this....

The problem is that this law can't be tailored to the individual person. It's been proven that you have less alcohol related "incidents" with 21 year-old's versus 18 year-old's.

I'm six months away from turning 21. I understand both sides of the coin. Doesn't mean I'm happy with it.

If you are in the military you can drink alcohol on base. In some states they will serve you reguardless of age laws if u have a military ID. I think using the war/military example of age for drinking is kinda lame because there is no draft. Want to make a good law then you should be 21 to sign up for any military service or VOTE. I have never known a 21 yr old that didnt have access to alcohol or drank at least once before they turned that age. I bought my first bottle of vodka wen I was 15yrs old right here on main st. i didnt need help getting it just a ride to the store !

In NY, you may not drink on base in the military if your under 21.

Alcohol should not be illegal at any age. Growing up with it is the easiest way of teaching responsibility. Giving it an age limit glorifies it and endorses binge drinking. And I'm not talking the stupid 3 or more at one event binge I'm talking passed out binge.

Everyone here has good points about drinking alcohol, and the age it should be allowed. Bottom line is though, its not good for your body, and organs. Alcohol is nothing to mess with, and if you know someone addicted to it,alcohol can destroy not only them, but the family's that love them. If you've ever experianced a Hangover, and all that comes with it, it is basically your body suffering from poisoning.

As far as the drinking age, when I turned 18, the drinking age changed to 19. When I turned 19, the drinking age turned to 21. I didn't find it frustrating, because as older teens, we could get it anyway. An occasional beer, wine, or cocktail is fine, and rewarding after a long day. I just worry about our youth not being educated enough to handle the responsibility, and God Forbid finding out the hard way, With Their Life.....
Alcohol is nothing to mess with, and should not be glorified.
Just my opinion

Well, Karen, since you provided the timeline above, I have a good idea you and I are the same age. Don't worry, your secrets safe with me kid! LOL

Is the age 21 tied to the State being able to get Federal highway funds?

Yah Bud 44 and holding. Hardly a Kid. Feel like a kid though. I guess thats a good thing.

Great Link Howard! Their is all kinds of info on the cause and effects of Alcohol.

As a member of the Sticker Shock campaign, I would like to let everyone know that the stickers are directed at those people purchasing alcohol, reminding them of the legal consequences of serving alcohol to someone under the age of 21. You'll see on June 20 at the Batavia Tops, among other local retailers, what the stickers look like.

I'm making it my pledge right now to avoid the shops that are supporting this campaign until all stickers are gone.

What about recycling ? Do the stickers have to be peeled off the bottles and cans before they are turned in ? Where are the stickers going to be placed ? Not on the UPC code I hope, or top of cans and bottles, what about the 12packs and cases ? Are these bio degradable and or eco-friendly ? How much will this cost ?

We are not allowed to place them over the UPC code and it is mostly on cases, not individual bottles.

Does this cost Tax dollars to do..........

In a way it does. It is a non-profit organization and therefore doesn't contribute to the tax base

http://gcasacares.blogspot.com/2009/02/gcasas-payroll-tops-2-million-do…

The comments are interesting, especially in light of the recent tragedy at SUNY Geneseo. If you really think 18 year olds make good decisions around their alcohol use...just visit any of our college fraternities on a saturday night. Raising the age to 21 has reduced the amount of underage fatalities, accidents and injuries over the past 20 years. When I was younger, I could drink at age 18 and was getting into bars at age 15 with a fake ID...I had friends die in alcohol related accidents in high school. Today, 15yr olds are not getting into bars. I support an older drinking age. It has made a difference.

While non-for-profits agencies do not pay property taxes, all of them contribute in that their employees spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in and about the genesee county region. GCASA has over 100 employee's.

Contribute what? GCASAs web site says their payroll is over 2 million. Who pays these salaries? Taxes and parents of under 21 year olds arrested for underage drinking. Just another government funded program to create jobs. If they stopped everyone from drinking no one would need a GCASA.....huh. Here's another one alcohol is legal so the government taxes you to buy alcohol you get arrested for drinking, you pay a government fine then the governmetn court forces you to go to and pay for a government funded program to teach you not to drink they win all the way around.

you mean those employees that could be working to create wealth instead of destroying it?

The GCASA demonizes alcohol to the point it looks glamorous. They become part of the problem.

An 18 year old who grew up around alcohol has a much better chance of making a good decision about it than a 21 year old who has been waiting on the edge of his seat to enter a bar for the first time and get blottoed

john bennett...While non-for-profits agencies do not pay property taxes, all of them contribute in that their employees spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in and about the genesee county region. GCASA has over 100 employee's...

So what are we running a jobs program for 100 people.....Thats a huge payroll..And we all thought that the fire dept was to big...

just for the record...GCASA's clinic's are funded primarily through insurance reimbursement and private pay. Less than 10% of the funding for the clinics if state and county monies.

When my daughter was in Middle School, she experimented with alcohol. She got caught, and we were "Roped" into sending her to GCASA. From the first visit, the young councilers, fresh out of college, way over-reacted. With no experiance in having children, in my opinion, they did more harm than good. My girl was exposed to crack-heads, and drug addicts, much older than herself. Her self esteem, suffered irriversable damage,as the kids from school would single her out. She was often scared to go to her appointment. These inexperianced councilers would bribe her with candy, to get her to admit things. They crossed the line when they tryed to imply that her parents were the problem. I took much offence to this, as we dont have a drug and alcohol problem. All they did was undermind our authority. The last straw was when she was being stalked by one of the drug addicts that were always learking around the building, and in the waiting room. I pulled her out, and we handled her ourselves. There should be an age limit for enrollement in GCASA's programs. I might add, from the minute you walk in, it was all about the money. We were paying for professional help, but getting ametures. My girl was a practice victim for the college kids to experiment on. Kind of like a nurse using you like a pin coushion, to practice giving shots. Its not right! So parents beware.

Don't get me going on GCASA. I know 2 people that were all the sudden all better and "graduated" as soon as their insurance ran out. And I used to live next to a GCASA halfway house on Trumbull and the residents used to tell me how much medicaid (OUR MONEY) was paying GCASA for them to live there every month. Thousands! Well more than the rent and utilities that GCASA paid for the house. And in all the time that halfway house was next to me, I never once saw a counselor come in.

John, you are not dealing with a mainstream crowd, save your breath. The vast majority of people who read the site and live in the county are in support of drug and alcohol counseling for minors and the work they do at GCASA.

Come on Chuck, GCASA is a farce, a scam, a racket and every one knows it. They just want to herd as many court ordered victims through there as they can to justify their own pitiful existense.

Charlie - I am in support of drug and alcohol counseling for minors if they need it. I just don't agree with a lot of GCASA's policies. A lot of the people that go into this program are from counties outside Genesee and they end up on Medicaid and social services or disability because they are "disabled" and we end up paying for it. Like I said above, I lived next to one of their halfway houses for years and got to know many of these guys quite well. GCASA was teaching them to play the system. They could only work a minimal number of hours or they would lose their benefits and God forbid they lose their benefits and GCASA lost their paycheck.

Listen, I get it. People who abuse drugs and alcohol are a burden on a community. No one wants to pay for what is considered someone else’s problem or live next to people who are in trouble. The fact is this is our community’s problem and complaining about a group that is trying to deal with it, isn’t going to make it better. This is also a problem that can hurt anyone, even people who live in your own home. These “disabled” people are better in a home being treated than they would be walking the streets looking for their next fix.

I’m also not saying something you all don’t know to be true so, why complain or throw stones at the good guys?

I'm not so sure that GCASA are "the good guys". The people in the halfway house next to me weren't getting any treatment according to many that I spoke with. They said the whole thing was a joke and that they were just a paycheck to GCASA. And almost all of the guys that lived there over the years that they were my neighbor were not from Genesee County but it was our tax dollars supporting them. And Genesee County wonders why Medicaid costs are skyrocketing. I would love to know how much is paid the GCASA by Medicaid every month.

See through the smoke and mirrors the whole thing is just a set up to abuse the system(s)in order to create jobs. Here's how western ny socialism works, lets put up a casino to create jobs, so people with no jobs can gamble - then we can send them to the new GCASA program for their gambling addiction when they can't pay HUD the rent.

Posted by Charlie Mallow on June 22, 2009 - 11:08am
..... I’m also not saying something you all don’t know to be true so, why complain or throw stones at the good guys?

When do you take off the blinders and admit that there are abuses to the system. Every program has it's good points. Unfortunately, there is misuse as well. Denying that only adds fuel to the fire of debate.

At the time GCASA wanted to open their treatment home across the street from John Kennedy School, most of the people being treated came from Monroe County. Very few were from Genesee County at all. But maybe things have changed over the years.

Since GCASA gets funding from Genesee County, and don't pay taxes, does anyone know what percent of the "disabled" are from Batavia or Genesee County?

I would love to know what percentage that is (none of the ones I met were from Genesee County) and I would also like to know how much money Genesee County contributes towards Medicaid payments for this "treatment". Lastly, I would like to know what the "price" is to stay for one month at at GCASA halfway house. The residents told me that it was a couple of thousand dollars a month and I believe the rent that GCASA paid to the landlord was approximately $800. There were 4 residents in the house. You do the math.

WOW, No John, but thats something. We are paying for Monroe Counties Drug and Alcohol problems. Great, I think Genesee County has enough of their own. I just love how all this goes with GCASA, they get a kick back from the State, Medicaid, County, Social Services, HUD, independant insurance. Just goes to show, we need reform!!!

They use to get money from Monroe County also, but it would be nice if we could get an audit of where all their money comes from along with where the people come from for treatment. Also, how many came on their own, from a medical facility/doctor or from the courts.

Odd how this started out over some idea to put stickers on beer.

Sorry - I guess I got a little off track. Obviously I'm not a huge GCASA fan. For the record, the guys who lived next door to me in the halfway house for the most part were really good guys. One of them even mowed my lawn for me several times just to be nice. He lived there for over a year. There was no incentive for him to get out on his own. Why would you if someone was paying all of your bills and all you had to do was go to an AA meeting once in a while and probably group counseling at GCASA. There were others who wanted nothing more than to be on their own but they were only allowed to work a limited number of hours and you have to save up a certain amount of money before you are allowed to go on your own. I always thought it was a bad idea to hand a drug addict a lot of money and say "you're on your own now".

The fact is this is our community’s problem and complaining about a group that is trying to deal with it, isn’t going to make it better...Do you really believe that Charlie....Don't speak up..Just shut up and let them do their job..I think GCASA is a broken system that i donate my tax dollars to and i can't point out problems in what they do..others have the same opinion and we should all shut up..Lately that seems like your answer to any one who doesn't agree with you..Last thing i need it some under age kid putting stickers on beer telling me not to buy it for them..What a waste...What a joke..