Teens and Drinking.

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Has your teen asked you to buy gummy bears recently?

Teens are becoming more resourceful and creative in their efforts to get drunk in school, at parties and even at home. The latest victim is a favorite childhood treat, gummy bears. Teens are soaking gummy bears in vodka and then eating them in public places in an effort to get drunk. Vodka is chosen due to it’s characteristic of being both colorless and odorless, making it very difficult to detect. While it can take an acquired taste to get used to vodka, the sugar in the candy helps teens adjust quickly.

It has been reported around the country, that teens are bringing the vodka soaked gummy bears to school and eating them right in front of their teachers. Eating booze-infused gummy bears is no different than drinking an alcoholic beverage and is extremely dangerous due to the fact that teens have no idea how much alcohol they are putting into their system. Several videos can be found on YouTube explaining just how easy it is to make. It’s important for parents to be vigilant at home, because it’s likely where the supplies are coming from. In an effort to empower and prevent underage drinking, Mother’s Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has a number of great resources dedicated specifically for parents. http://www.madd.org/underage-drinking/the-power-of-parents/

MADD reminds us, “many youth drink with the goal to get drunk. They are not “wired” in the brain to assess risk and to be responsible when it comes to risky behavior. There is no class or situation that will prompt a teen to drink responsibly when alcohol flows freely.” They go on to say, “the earlier someone begins drinking, the more likely they are to be alcohol dependent in later life. More than 40 percent of individuals who start drinking before the age of 13 will develop alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence at some point in their lives. Ninety-five percent of the 14 million people who are alcohol dependent began drinking before the legal age of 21.”

Parents please stay on the lookout for booze soaked gummy bears and talk to your kids on a regular basis about the risks of alcohol