In 2019, according to the National Highway Safety Administration, 40 people were killed in drunk driving auto crashes on Cinco de Mayo. As part of the Sticker Shock Campaign, a youth-driven project that seeks to educate community members on the implications of providing alcohol to underage youth, KYCC’s Prevention Education staff placed 120 stickers on alcoholic beverages at two Koreatown liquor stores on May 5, 2021. The stickers read “Did you know? Purchasing or providing alcohol to anyone under the age of 21 is a serious crime.” 

Due to community and business restrictions, Youth Drug Abuse Prevention Program (YDAPP) participants were not able to participate in the Sticker Shock Campaign for Cinco de Mayo. To protect the health and safety of all community members and staff involved, Prevention Education staff followed all state safety guidelines, such as wearing masks, while doing outreach. 

Through policy advocacy and partnering with local politicians, community groups, law enforcement agencies, and through the support of the LA County Department of Public Health Substance Abuse Prevention and Control, the Responsible Retailer campaign (RRC) seeks to reduce underage drinking and work at an environmental level to address substance use availability and accessibility. 

In the past six years, Prevention Education has worked with over 100 liquor stores in Koreatown, Westlake and Pico-Union. Through partnerships with local businesses in the Responsible Retailer Campaign, KYCC’s Prevention Education launched the Sticker Shock Campaign in 2019. 

Thank you to Gourmet Liquor on 3rd St. and Savoy Liquor on 8th St. for their participation in the Cinco de Mayo Project Sticker Shock campaign. To learn more about our advocacy work in substance abuse prevention, please visit Prevention Education here.