Sticking to the Law

by Jorge Gomez

Although it's illegal to purchase or provide alcohol to a minor, underage

drinking remains a national public health problem. Communities like

Manhattan and Fort Riley are no exception.

COL Paul Benne, Irwin Army Community Hospital's Department of Public Health

Chief, teamed up with Melissa Rickel-Morrill of the Manhattan Area Risk

Prevention Coalition to raise awareness of this public health issue on Fort

Riley June 27.

The information campaign targets customers with a stop-sign-shaped sticker

affixed to beer bottles, cartons and cases. Even the popular solo party cups

are stuck with bright reminders of the law.

An estimated 3,000 stickers were affixed to alcoholic beverages at a Fort

Riley Exchange store. Members of the IACH Department of Public Health, their

family members, and Fort Riley military police volunteered an hour on a

Saturday morning to support the effort.

Last year the coalition affixed 6,800 stickers among eight locally owned

liquor stores in Manhattan, including Hyvee. This is the first year that

Fort Riley Army and Air Force Exchange Service participated in the campaign.

"The fact that Fort Riley got involved this year is huge," said

Rickel-Morrill. "This lends credibility to the effort as we rely on the

state for a grant."

Getting Rickel-Morrill through Fort Riley's gates at a time of heightened

security was no easy task, but COL Benne said they were committed to making

this happen.

The timing of this Fort Riley activation was designed to raise awareness

during the Country Stampede weekend and before the Fourth of July rush to

ramp up on alcoholic beverages.

The Manhattan campaign won't begin until August but Rickel-Morrill said she

hopes Fort Riley AAFES' participation will encourage all 12 locally owned

liquor businesses to follow suit.

"Those who don't cooperate may resist out of a fear of losing business,"

Rickel-Morrill said, "but it also raises a red flag to the police department

to keep a closer eye on them."