Beer-Bottle Baby Is Turning Drivers' Heads
By AMANDA RAUS
Updated 12:41 AM EST, Wed, Oct 7, 2009
The image of a baby sucking on a beer bottle is drawing eyes to a billboard on Route 154 in Deep River, Connecticut.
"There's a lot of conversation about it, and that's good. Something like that makes people think and start talking," said Wayne Martin, who owns the bakery and deli next to the billboard.
That's what the people who designed the billboard were trying to do. They say you take special care of your child as an infant and you should be doing the same when they're teenagers. That means not letting your teen drink.
"Letting kids drink young is not a good idea at all. But telling your children not to drink, while you're drinking isn't ever going to work. What we need is leadership by example," said Martin.
The message comes at the same time police across the state are cracking down on underage drinking. In Branford, 20 teens were cited after officers went undercover at two house parties. In East Haven, police nabbed 23 minors for possession of alcohol. The Together We Can Coalition to Stop Underage Drinking says it will also be working with state police to increase party patrols in Middlesex County. They want to show their actions match the message on this billboard.
"Certainly any way that we can get the message out, not only to young people, but their parents. It's certainly beneficial. It will help us all, and more over, it will keep the young people safe," said Lt. Paul Vance of the Connecticut State Police.
The billboards, which are up in Middletown, Deep River and Essex will stay up through November.
First Published: Oct 5, 2009 9:30 PM EST
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