Teenage Drinking in Mysterious Ways

Shannon is a 19 year old from Arkansas City, KS. She enjoys poetry, airbrushing, drawing, and reading. She believes that language as well as art is one of the most colorful ways to express the self. It is painting the world with words.

Drinking plays such a big part in today’s teen’s lives, and it seems to have created trends within itself. Teens have become very crafty in the ways that they intake alcohol. Many parents would not even consider some of the possibilities teens come up with. Vodka soaked gummy candies is just one of these crafty drinking trends and the least expected of them to come yet.

How it’s created:

Gummy bears or worms are soaked in vodka or any other sort of alcohol. That way a large amount of alcohol is combined with the sweetness of such a small gummy candy. A large kick is in them and the consumer has no clue how much alcohol they are ingesting or if they are ingesting alcohol at all (if they didn’t make the drunken candy, that is).

What to watch for:

• Disappearing liquor (from cabinets.)
• Weird smelling candy.
• Increased interest or obsession with gummy candies.
• Unusual behavior.

How this can be prevented:

• Lock the liquor cabinet.
• Observe your teen’s interests.
• Watch them with any gummy candy they may consume.
• Talk to them and explain how serious this situation is.
• Educate the other parents about this so that they can watch out for their kids.

How to have gummy candies safely:

• Consume from a sealed bag.
• No alcohol is involved during consumption.
• Chewing is permitted.
• Don’t dip the gummies in anything but a mouth.
• A buzz is prohibited.
• Any non alcoholic drink would be good to drink if thirst is felt.

The Next Steps:

Gummy candies are meant to be eaten, not soaked in alcohol. Candy is candy because it gives the consumer a feeling of happiness and a sweet taste, not the terrible taste of drunkenness. Teenagers should not be drinking, but they still do. They are getting smarter and smarter about it every day, so parents should wise up as well. Spreading the word can be beneficial and stop this trend at the source, the teens. Once the parents of such teens have wised up, this problem will most likely reduce. Even if it is reduced a great amount, there will always be someone doing it. If a problem develops, encourage someone to seek help.