Alexandria Teens Put ‘WAIT!’ Stickers on Beer Cases. Here’s Why.
Project Sticker Shock reminds Alexandria shoppers that buying alcohol for someone under 21 can carry serious legal consequences.
Subhead: Project Sticker Shock reminds Alexandria shoppers that buying alcohol for someone under 21 can carry serious legal consequences.
Five keyphrase synonyms: Alexandria Project Sticker Shock, teen alcohol prevention Alexandria, underage drinking awareness Alexandria, SAPCA Sticker Shock campaign, Virginia alcohol warning stickers
ALEXANDRIA, VA — Have you noticed a bright yellow “WAIT!” sticker on a case of beer at your neighborhood grocery or convenience store? It isn’t a sale sign. It’s a warning, and Alexandria teenagers helped put it there.
As part of the City’s annual Project Sticker Shock, local young people and adult volunteers visit participating retailers to place eye-catching warnings on multipacks of alcoholic beverages. Their message is aimed squarely at adults: Buying alcohol for someone under 21 is against the law.
The 2026 campaign kicked off October 17 at Alexandria City High School’s King Street campus. Organized by the Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria (SAPCA) with City agencies, law enforcement, and the high school’s Army JROTC program, the effort puts young people at the center of a conversation about keeping alcohol out of underage hands.
A Warning Worth Reading
The stickers aren’t subtle, and that’s the point. They explain that in Virginia, providing alcohol to a minor can result in a fine of up to $2,500 per young person, up to 12 months in jail, and loss of driving privileges for up to a year. Using a fake ID to purchase alcohol is also illegal.
Campaign organizers say the issue goes beyond a teenager trying to buy alcohol at a checkout counter. Sometimes an adult makes the purchase and passes the alcohol along to someone underage, a practice known as a second-party sale.
Project Sticker Shock is designed to make that decision harder to ignore. It is an awareness campaign rather than an enforcement operation, and participating retailers receive certificates recognizing their role in prevention. In 2025, 60 young people teamed up with 55 Alexandria retailers, according to the City.
The next time you see one of those bright “WAIT!” stickers in a store cooler, you’ll know who helped put it there and why. It’s a message from Alexandria’s young people to the adults in their community: Helping keep kids safe is everyone’s responsibility.
Learn more about local youth substance-use prevention efforts through SAPCA. The Zebra previously covered the campaign in 2019.
