Alcohol & Energy Drinks: Alcopops Alcopops are pre-mixed spirits, like vodka or rum with added sugar/ caffeine, coloring and flavoring. Energy drinks containing alcohol, are being produced by many beer companies. These products are creating a problem for retailers and consumers who have a hard time telling the difference between the two. The packaging is similar to non-alcohlic energy drinks and is difficult to distinguish against non-alcohlic varities. WHAT TO LOOK FOR: 1. Non-alcoholic drinks list nutritional facts on the can or bottle 2. Alcoholic drinks specify alcohol content printed as “ALC/VOL” printed on the can or bottle. 3. Alcoholic drinks will have a surgeon generals warning printed on the packaging like the one shown below. ALCO-POPS! ALCOHOL & CAFFEINE DANGEROUS COMBO 1234 Main Street Anytown, State 54321 T: (123) 456-7890 F: (123) 456-7891 W: www.apple.com/iwork The Collaborative Mailing Address: PO Box 32, South Londonderry, VT 05155 Physical Address: 91 VT RT 11,Londonderry, VT 05148 Phone 802.824.4200 Fax: 802.824.3350 Email: [email protected]www.thecollaborative.us Info from websites: www.cspinet.org/alcopops/ www.burlingtonpartnership.com www.samhsa.gov/ www.drugfree.org/ www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/underagedrinking/
Transcript
Alcohol & Energy Drinks: Alcopops
Alcopops are pre-mixed spirits, like vodka or rum with added sugar/caffeine, coloring and flavoring. Energy drinks containing alcohol, are being produced by many beer companies. These products are creating a problem for retailers and consumers who have a hard time telling the difference between the two. The packaging is similar to non-alcohlic energy drinks and is difficult to distinguish against non-alcohlic varities.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR:1. Non-alcoholic drinks list
nutritional facts on the can or bottle
2. Alcoholic drinks specify alcohol content printed as “ALC/VOL” printed on the can or bottle.
3. Alcoholic drinks will have a surgeon generals warning printed on the packaging like the one shown below.
ALCO-POPS!
ALCOHOL & CAFFEINE
DANGEROUS COMBO1234 Main Street Anytown, State 54321T: (123) 456-7890 F: (123) 456-7891
W: www.apple.com/iwork
ALCOHOL? ENERGY?BOTH?
L O O K S C A N B E D E C E I V I N GMany people do not realize that certain energy drinks contain alcohol.
Know what you are drinking. If alcohol is an ingredient, the amount varies by product. As withall beverages containing alcohol, persons must be 21 to purchase alcoholic energy drinks.
Va. Dept. of Alcoholic Beverage Control Web site: www.abc.virginia.gov
NONALCOHOLIC DRINKS list “nutrition facts”on the can or bottle.
ALCOHOLIC DRINKS specify alcohol contentand have a warning on the can or bottle.
The CollaborativeMailing Address: PO Box 32, South Londonderry, VT 05155Physical Address: 91 VT RT 11,Londonderry, VT 05148Phone 802.824.4200 Fax: 802.824.3350 Email: [email protected]
Info from websites:
www.cspinet.org/alcopops/
www.burlingtonpartnership.com
www.samhsa.gov/
www.drugfree.org/
www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/underagedrinking/
How Alcopops Lure You: Availability: Due to
Alcopops being labeled
as beer they are made available wherever beer
is sold, such as
convenience stores, gas stations, and mini-marts making it easier to buy & obtain.
Targeting Girls: Alcopops have about the same amount of alcohol as beer, but
their high sugar and caffeine content does a
great job of covering the flavor and the affect which attracts teen girls.
Taxes: Alcopops producers avoid the higher tax rates because they are
categorized as “beer” instead of spirits/hard
alcohol which means they help keep the consumer price lower making this appealing
to youth and college students.
Know what you are Buying!Popular Alcopops:Sparks, Tilt, BudExtra, Liquid Charge, Liquid Core, Rockstar21, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, & Twisted Tea .
Do you know the facts?
Think you know all the facts about alcohol/energy drink combinations. Take this true or false quiz and find out.
1. You can overdose on caffeine? T F
2. Alcopops are less potent than beer or
wine so it is safer to drink them? T F
3. Due to the caffeine in the drink, you are less drunk and more alert? T F
4. There are less calories drinking an alcopop than drinking a beer? T F
5. The majority of people who drink
alcopops are college males? T F
Answers:
1.True. Surprised? It is possible to overdose on caffeine & this can cause some serious problems, including: chest pains, heart palpitations, & brain damage.
2.False. Mixing alcohol & caffeine means you are mixing a depressant & a stimulant which is more dangerous!
3.False. Fatigue is one of the ways the body tells someone that they have met their alcohol limit. The caffeine stimulates a person masking this feeling & can give the person the impression they aren’t impaired.
4.False. Most Alcopops have just as many calories as a regular beer, sometimes more. There are more calories in one Alcopop than a Krispy Kreme donut!
5.False, Most Alcopop drinkers are 14-18 year old females.
Wide- Awake DrunkThe Dangers of mixing energy drinks
& alcohol
There is no doubt alcohol is dangerous & illegal for teens. But mixing alcohol & energy drinks is even more hazardous.
Alcohol is a depressant, when you drink it your whole body slows down. When you drink your heart rate drops, your reaction time slows, & your thinking and judgement are impaired. This is the body’s way of telling someone they have had too much to drink.
Caffeine loaded energy drinks are stimulants. Your heartrate spikes, you feel jittery & alert, & worst of all, you have the illusion that you are not buzzed or drunk when you actually are!
Both alcohol & caffeine also dehydrate individuals. Mixing them together dehydrate you twice as fast!
