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24HourForums.com > Supported Forums > Britt's Child Education > ARTICLE: Children's "Champagne" and Underaged Drinking |
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Britt Forum-Blogger© Original500© Member  Learning Contentment
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 Hello! This article was published today, 25 March 2007. Researchers and parents are concerned that consumption of a non-alcoholic carbonated juice drink produced by Disney to look like champagne may lead to under-aged drinking. Scotland has a tremendous problem with under-aged drinking and alcoholism in general, thus the concern about products such as this. The author of this news story likens the Disney product to bubblegum "cigarettes" and "chewing tobacco" which have been proven to contribute to under-aged smoking and chewing tobacco use.Do you think products like children's champagne contribute to under-aged drinking? Or is this another case of parents blaming big business for their failure to protect their own children? Do you have experience with this issue? Should these sort of products be banned from stores? Or is the real issue parental responsibility? Please share your opinion and experience.  Fury over Disney 'children's champagne' LANGLANDS of The Scotsman FROM the gold foil wrapping to the cork, the wire tie, and the shape of the bottle it looks - and bubbles - much like the real thing. But Disney Partyfizz, a fizzy juice drink aimed at the massive children's party market, has been seized on by health campaigners as a potentially dangerous gateway to alcoholism for youngsters. The entertainment giant has been accused of acting irresponsibly by creating a champagne-style drink for children. Disney's detractors warn the product will create a "dangerous mindset" among youngsters and encourage early experiments with alcohol. Tesco is among the retailers stocking the £1.99 bottles and last night insisted the 'kiddie champagne' was safe and would remain on its shelves. The row follows rising concern about underage drinking in Scotland. More than 40% of 15-year-olds in Scotland regularly drink alcohol, with consumption higher among girls than boys. Last week a report claimed alcohol, as well as tobacco, was as dangerous as any illegal substances. Jack Law, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, said: "It's irresponsible to market and package juice for children as if it is alcohol, particularly by such a famous global brand as Disney. Underage drinking is a big enough problem in Scotland without products like this being aimed at young children. We call on Tesco to remove the product from its shelves immediately." Law added: "It could lead to potentially dangerous situations. A child could reach for a bottle of real champagne at a family party thinking it's fizzy juice, and pour himself or herself a glass. Parents should consider the connotations before buying this product." Campaigners have likened the lookalike bubbly to controversial cigarette sweets, which are still sold to children despite known risks. According to research published in the British Medical Journal in 2000, children who have used sweet cigarettes are more likely to become adult smokers. American researchers found that executives in the tobacco industry regarded sweet cigarettes as good advertising for future smokers. Withdrawing the confectionery from sale could even reduce tobacco use among young people, concluded researchers. Professor Neil McKeganey, director of the Centre for Drug Misuse Research at Glasgow University, said: "It is a matter of serious concern that Disney has chosen to present soft drinks to young people that so very clearly resemble alcoholic products. "In Scotland we have a huge problem with underage drinking. Some of our strongest alcoholic products have penetrated the world of children and young people. "The marketing of this product will only serve to further young people's interest in alcohol and to encourage the graduation from those products that resemble alcohol to drinking the real thing." Last week, lobby group Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) called for a Scottish parliament inquiry into alcohol-related health problems, which are responsible for 45 deaths in Scotland each week. Dr Bruce Ritson, chairman of SHAAP, agreed parents should stay away from alcohol-style drinks. He said: "I have concerns about this looking like alcohol or real champagne. It fosters the ambition of celebrating occasions with alcohol. It could introduce young children to a model of drinking alcohol. Parents should be encouraged to think seriously about this product's connotations before buying it for their children." Disney's foray into celebratory drinks for children is part of the wider trend towards lavish kids' parties. As well as increasingly exotic venues, the average party bag now contains items worth £7.48, according to a survey published earlier this month. Pressure to provide upmarket trinkets means the gifts include sunglasses, temporary tattoos, model cars and water pistols. But Richard Lamming of the British Soft Drinks Association said: "It's quite hard to see how this could lead children off the straight and narrow. I don't share the view that it will encourage children to drink alcohol. These concerns are not well founded. I am sure children are quite aware that they are drinking fizzy apple juice and not alcohol. The whole point of the drink is to let children have a bit of fun. "I can understand there is concern about factors influencing teenagers and children to drink. But this product is not a risk factor." Yesterday Tesco, which enjoys the biggest share of the UK's supermarket industry, denied the product was harmful to children. "You can buy many other products in champagne shapes. One common example is chocolates. This is because the shape of a champagne bottle is associated with family celebration," said a Tesco spokesman. A Scottish Executive spokesman said: "We are very concerned about alcohol misuse, including anything that would encourage those under the age of 18 to drink alcohol." No one was available for comment from Disney. 'It made me feel grown up' THE girls from Glasgow watched, fascinated, as the wire tie on the Disney Partyfizz bottle was unravelled. The distinctive 'pop' of the cork drew an excited shriek from the two friends, who burst into laughter. "I want a bottle for my birthday next month to share with my cousins," said Monica Perry, aged seven. "It tasted like fizzy apple juice. I really liked it. "It reminds me of champagne. The bottle shape and the colour of the juice are the same. I've seen mummy and daddy drink champagne at parties." Mary Anne Keegan, also seven, wasn't convinced at first. "It tasted a bit funny because I've never had apple juice before," she said. "I thought it was champagne when I first saw it. The bottle looks just like it. It was good fun. It made me feel a bit grown-up." Her mother, Teri Smillie, rejected claims the product could lead to underage drinking. "It's just another way of making parties special for kids," said Smillie. "It's not like parents are buying a bottle for their kids to drink on a Friday night while the parents sip their white wine." Sweets with bitter taste IN 1999, shops in Britain were flooded with chewing tobacco sold in brightly coloured sweet-style packs. The foil packets from Asia sold for as little as 20p, with some bearing children's faces on the front. The packets contained ground tobacco, often mixed with other ingredients including betel nuts. Some were sweetened, with one type tasting of chocolate. Politicians called for an immediate ban on the product, which was blamed for a rise in oral cancer among children. Sweet cigarettes, also known as candy sticks, are still sold in small retail outlets today. Lobby groups have called for the sweets to be banned over concerns they can encourage children to smoke. This article: http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=462052007
 "All that you have is your soul." --Tracy Chapman |
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librtyhead Original500© Member 
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Some companies will do anything to make a buck, this is not your parents Disney anymore they know what they are doing, kids will learn from their parents beit good or bad.
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cdmead Original500© Member 
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I seem to remember having a "Shirley Temple" or two when vacationing with my parents and that didn't adversely affect me. I knew it wasn't a real drink, and it was fun because it was vacation.
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Britt Forum-Blogger© Original500© Member Learning Contentment
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Haha. Yep, I had a few Shirley Temples when I was young. I don't drink alcohol thus it ain't no surprise I had one last year, LOL, heavy on the cherries. I think the Disney juice-champagne case is a bit different. It is packaged in an ornate bottle to look like the actual alcoholic drink. The advertising shows photos of little girls dressed like country club princesses supping champagne out of plastic goblets with their pinkies out. Some of us did this as make-believe when we were kids. But is it more harmful as it is packaged with images of little girls acting like adult women? Are they essentially asking little girls and boys to emulate their drinking parents? Frankly, I am undecided. I do think those gum cigarettes they produced when I was a kid led many of my friends to transition to real cigarettes. I do not know if this kiddie champagne is a similar situation. Gosh, now I want a maraschino cherry.
"All that you have is your soul." --Tracy Chapman |
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UsedToRide Original500© Member  ^^^That is LOVE!!^^^
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This is a tough one, Britt. I'm NOT unbiased about drinking, being an alcoholic myself. I am 500% for parenting being the best defense against any habit, including drinking. Laws are too lax and it's way too easy for underage kids to get hold of booze. I can see potential problems with this, as they mention, that a kid could mistake the "safe" stuff for the real stuff. Again, parental supervision needs to be in place. I don't see how this could encourage alcoholism, since it is unlikely that this kids drink will taste anything like real champagne. If I were to have any of this on hand for my kids, I would let them taste it then give them a taste of the real stuff. I'd be willing to wager that they wouldn't like the real champagne as much.
Respect some, trust one, fear none ~~Bullet http://www.freeholbrook.com The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons. ~~Dostoyevsky |
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JustifiedByFaith Pioneer100© Member  Without Jesus we fall short...
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Britt wrote:
Yes I do. Just like candy cigarettes.
Jesus said, "Take heed that no one deceives you." Matthew 24:4 |
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cynicalninja Forum-Blogger© Original500© Member  Smiling Shinobi
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I think we should try and mix the elements of play and children naturally wanting to emulate adults with some care and consideration. I used to play "barman" with my dad using plastic tumblers and water, my parents often put my soft drinks in a wine glass so I would feel grown up when having dinner with them. Actual alcohol of any kind was strictly a no-no until I was the legal age and even then I was warned and advised about its effects. I like the roleplay element, but perhaps marketing soft drinks in the form of alcohol is a little cynical. The Disney company accused of cynicism to make money ? where have I hear that one before ?
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24HourForums.com > Supported Forums > Britt's Child Education > ARTICLE: Children's "Champagne" and Underaged Drinking | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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