Medway High School students from STARS, which stands for Students Thriving And Resisting Substances, took part in “Project Sticker Shock.” As part of the initiative, student volunteers placed 800 stickers on alcohol products at four stores on May 7 warning adults not to buy alcohol for minors. (Photo Courtesy Medway High School)
MEDWAY — Students from Medway High School, as part of the ‘SUP Medway coalition, recently participated in prevention initiatives to keep everyone safe around prom and graduation this season.
Started by the Medway Public School district, ‘SUP Medway, which stands for Substance Use Prevention Medway, has increased its efforts to curb underage drinking during this high-risk season of prom and graduation. One of the new initiatives this year is an educational table tent project supported by Victoria Bullard, a Medway High School student who interned with ‘SUP Medway. Over 80 educational table tents are displayed in a dozen area businesses.
Also added this year is the launch of a new website and a letter to all parents of juniors and seniors, urging them to take proactive steps to promote safety on prom night. The website, table tents, and letter are each a different way to remind adults in our community to consider creating safe spaces for drug- and alcohol-free celebrations, to refuse purchasing alcohol for anyone who is underage, and to better understand the law and their liabilities.
“A strategy that we’ve emphasized this year is reaching not just the teenagers themselves but also the parents,” said ‘SUP Medway Coalition Coordinator Stephanie Simeon. “That’s because we’ve identified, unfortunately, that young people in Medway who have chosen to drink say they have gotten the alcohol from their homes, either with their parents’ knowledge at a party or without their parents knowing it.”
‘SUP Medway in partnership with Medway High School also continued the standing tradition of the PROMise Pledge, garnering signatures from 80 students who pledged to prioritize safety on prom night, which took place on May 16 this year.
“The pledge encourages young people to buddy up and look out for each other,” said ‘SUP Medway Coalition Coordinator Stephanie Simeon. “We ask them, ‘Who is going to have your back tonight? It encourages young people to look out for each and be ‘upstanders’ — leaders who actively intervene and advocate — rather than just bystanders.”
‘SUP Medway was not alerted to any alcohol-related accidents or medical emergencies in connection to this year’s prom, an improvement even from the previous year.
In addition to preventing physical harm to students, prevention efforts like ‘SUP Medway also save taxpayer funds. In a 2021 study published in Prevention Science, the official journal of the Society for Prevention Research, for every dollar invested in comparable prevention efforts there was a taxpayer savings of $3.48, due to a reduction in emergency services and other public services that drain public funds.
For the second year in a row, 9 Medway High School students from STARS, which stands for Students Thriving And Resisting Substances, took part in “Project Sticker Shock.” The initiative involved STARS students placing 800 educational stickers on alcohol products at four stores in the community on May 7, warning adults not to buy alcohol for minors.
“Protect our teens,” the sticker states. “Don’t fuel underage drinking. It’s illegal and dangerous.”
The sticker was designed by the students who belong to STARS, a group created by ‘SUP Medway.
“It’s so important we engage the young people themselves and get them involved in these campaigns because this is meant to impact them and they are the experts on how their peers think,” said ‘SUP Medway Coalition Coordinator Simeon. “We want to empower them to do the prevention work that’s going to help their peers thrive.”
Lastly, the school district and ‘SUP Medway are continuing to support an ongoing initiative called Most of Medway, a positive social norm campaign, reinforcing the fact that “Most Medway teens do NOT drink alcohol,” and encouraging residents not to host underage drinking parties.
“Rather than ineffective scare tactics, best practice in prevention now is to focus on positive, actionable things that people can do,” said ‘SUP Medway Coalition Coordinator Simeon. “Our coalition tries its best to be evidence-based, data-driven, and go beyond education. As an analogy, everyone knows that exercise is good for you but not everyone exercises. The coalition tries to create conditions where people do not go towards drug use. That includes trying to limit teen’s access to age restricted products, advocating for policy updates and encouraging parents to hold safe, alcohol-free spaces for youth and teens to socialize. You have to go beyond knowledge and impact the conditions of the community.”
Superintendent Armand Pires and Director of Wellness Ryan Sherman commended the ‘SUP Medway Coalition and all Medway students who have supported the coalition’s initiatives, applauding their ongoing efforts to promote safety and good decision-making surrounding prom, graduation and the rest of the summer season.
“It’s been amazing and very encouraging to see so many of our students step up to look out for one another and create a positive environment for our celebration of prom,” said Director Sherman. “We want all of our students to thrive. Prom celebrations can be both safe and fun. While forging some of the most important memories of their lives, it’s paramount to see that our students are making healthy choices and that our adult leaders are providing an atmosphere that reduces the risk of tragedy.”
“I want to congratulate ‘SUP Medway Coalition, all of our students who signed the PROMise Pledge, our student volunteers involved in groups like STARS, and everyone else who did their part to make this prom season a safe one,” said Superintendent Pires. “We deeply care about the wellbeing of our students. I’d also like to thank all of our parents and guardians who contributed to a safe, positive environment, where our high school students can thrive, avoid risky decisions and live healthy, happy lives.”
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About 80 Medway High School students signed the PROMise Pledge, vowing to abstain from underage drinking and other unsafe behaviors on the night of the Medway High School Prom on May 17. (Photo Courtesy Medway Public Schools)
Members of STARS, which stands for Students Thriving And Resisting Substances, put 800 stickers on alcohol products at four stores on May 7 to warn adults not to buy alcohol for minors. (Photo Courtesy Medway High School)
The “Project Sticker Shock” stickers warned shoppers at two liquor stores and two convenient stores not to buy alcohol for teenagers because it is against the law and due to the dangers posed by underage drinking. (Photo Courtesy Medway Public Schools)
This was the second year for “Project Sticker Shock” for STARS. The Medway High School students who belong to the group, which is part of the ‘SUP Medway coalition, voted unanimously to continue the initiative for the third consecutive year in 2026. (Photo Courtesy Medway Public Schools)
The “Most of Medway” campaign is an ongoing initiative organized by the ‘SUP Medway coalition warning parents against the dangers of hosting illegal parties where teenagers and other underage people drink alcohol together. (Photo Courtesy Medway Public Schools)
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