Overview
If you needed more evidence that teenagers are becoming even smarter at a younger age, look no further. A new trend has emerged in Midwest America, where teenagers are reportedly soaking candy in alcohol in order to get drunk. Long gone are the days when young hooligans would wait outside the bottle shop and desperately beg the first bloke with facial hair to buy them a case of Bacardi Breezers. Instead, candy is being soaked in spirits before being consumed in a seemingly harmless practice. These teenagers were even able to pick the cutest and most innocent candy as their method of intoxication: the gummy bear.
Darcy Jensen from Prairie View Prevention Services works in South Dakota to stop underage drinking. She notes that whilst the problem has not yet become widespread, she has already sent out warnings to schools across the state about the dangerous new practice.
"Maybe someone has offered the candy and they didn't even know. So telling the kids ahead of time this could be something to be aware of is important," she said. Darcy raises a valid point. Teenagers might think twice about accepting a drink from a stranger, but a gummy bear? Never.
She notes that this new trend will provide parents with a good opportunity to talk to their children about the hazards of underage drinking, and describes the gummy bears as "a good conversation starter."
Maybe confectionery giants should start selling candy in brown paper bags from now on.
[via Keloland]