I think I have to agree with the politically correct crowd on this one:
Alcohol Healthwatch director Rebecca Williams said it was an ugly, sick and shocking way of encouraging young people into a drinking environment. The look-alike beer was sold in brown glass bottles and had a frothy head when poured. It contained guarana, a Brazilian based energy extract containing caffeine, and tasted like coke. Ms Williams said packaging for the beverage included cartoon characters and the slogan "Even kids cannot stand life unless they have a drink".Oh dear. For me, kids should only learn through a process of sticking fingers in glasses of ale held out by uncles when no one is looking that hops are not exactly their thing and that, as a result, adults are in fact weirdos.
Comments
Knut Albert Solem - November 10, 2005 3:30 AM
But if someone is concerned about this, I think they should focus on alcopops. A little fiddling with the taxes on those have destroyed the market in some countries.
But you still find chocolate milk with 4.5% alcohol in the shops, and I don't really think that is what we needed.
Alan - November 10, 2005 7:48 AM
I don't think we have the issue on alcopops here in North America that Europe has. Certainly there is not the clamour in our press that you see on the BBC web news about youth binges. But we don't have chocobooze either.
Ben - November 11, 2005 1:36 PM
Enticing kids with cartoon characters, etc, reminds me of the "Joe Camel" cigarette ads a few years ago.