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Shopping bags will yield important message

Young students hope to educate others about underage drinking's dangers

A trip to the grocery store ultimately fills the stomach. Soon it might feed the mind as well.

Students involved with the Inner Wisconsin Coalition for Youth -- an organization of school districts in the southern Wood County area -- decorated up to 3,000 grocery bags this week with a message: Stop underage drinking.

Each year, the coalition focuses on a different topic. After learning that Wisconsin ranks No. 1 in underage and binge drinking, its members decided to take action on the issue for the 2007-08 school year.

"It's excellent, especially since it's coming from the kids themselves," said Cathy Genteman, adviser for the youth initiative group, a subcommittee of the coalition. "People tend to listen to the kids more. Hopefully, we can combat all the underage drinking that takes place."

The brainchild of Nekoosa High School counselor Dave Gorski, the grocery bag project is another instance of children educating others about a difficult issue, said Hilary Bilbrey, youth trainer for the coalition.

Children "know what works; they know what's really happening," Bilbrey said.

The grocery bags will be delivered to local stores for use this coming weekend.

"It's different; people are going to be like, 'Huh?'" Bilbrey said of the bags. "I think it will make somebody look at it. This is a different (way to deliver the) message, and because of that, people will take notice."

While teenagers battle the pressures of underage drinking, a younger group of students also has been partaking in the project, said Genteman, who helped decorate some bags with students at St. Philip Elementary School in Rudolph.

"The little kids are interesting because they want to add more words to it -- don't drink until you're 21; drinking is bad -- it's good to get these kids at this age because it will stay with them," she said. "If they say it to their parents or older brothers or sisters, people will think twice when a little kid says it."

Knowing there have been several alcohol and prescription abuse-related deaths of local children in recent months, Bilbrey said the students should be recognized for the work they are doing to prevent further tragedy.

A St. Philip Elementary School teacher looks on as students at the school decorate grocery bags with an anti-underage drinking message. Tom Loucks/Daily Tribune

Students' messages urge people to be safe so they can have a happy holiday. Tom Loucks/Daily Tribune