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Parents warned about gelatin containing alcohol
Donna Leinwand
There's a new front in the fight to keep alcohol away from kids: school lunch boxes. A national anti-drug coalition is alerting parents about the rising popularity of Zippers, which are packaged cups of fruity-flavored gelatin and alcohol. Zippers are being marketed by a small Ohio company as the first commercially produced version of "Jell-O shots," the sweet, chilled concoctions that have long been a staple at beach bars and college parties. But Zippers, with their bright colors and cheery labels, also look like the gelatin dessert packs that thousands of youths take to school each day. And some drug-prevention officials are hearing complaints from parents and school administrators that Zippers could make it too easy for youths to sneak alcohol into school. "Zippers may be dangerous because they come packaged in containers that look like any other snack pack or after-school snack a child may put in their lunch box," the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America said in an alert last week. The coalition added that "Zippers are being marketed in ways that appeal to an underage audience." Burt Brooks rejects the notion that the Toledo, Ohio, company that he started with several friends is marketing its products to kids. Zippers, he says, are aimed at the adult group that is most likely to enjoy sweet, alcoholic drinks: 24- to 44-year-old women who like "entertaining, nights out with friends (and) fun with no regrets." Brooks also notes that Zippers' packaging is clearly marked with a government alcohol warning and a picture of a baby with a red slash through it, indicating that the product isn't for kids. "We went above and beyond what the states and federal government require," Brooks says. His 4-year-old company, BPNC, projects $2 million in sales this year. "If you leave a rum and Coke on your table, a kid will drink that and mistake it for a Coke just like they might mistake our product for (regular) Jell-O," he says. "You have to supervise your children." Zippers, which unlike regular gelatin snack packs require refrigeration, are sold in bars, liquor stores and groceries in 26 states. There is a cherry-flavored version called Rum Rush, a bourbon-and-lime one known as Whiskey Drop, an orange one called Vodka Splash and a lemon one with grain spirits called Tijuana Tease. Eight-packs retail for $6.99 to $9.99, depending on the market and local taxes. Each gelatin cup contains 12% alcohol and has about the same potency as a glass of wine. Hope Taft, the wife of Ohio Gov. Bob Taft, is among those speaking out against Zippers. She says parents in her state have been calling a drug-prevention resource center in Cincinnati about Zippers. "Products like these and wine coolers ... cause us great concern because they are very appealing to young people," says Taft, the mother of a college senior. "They all have colorful, creative labeling and catchy names. The packaging is sort of disguised." Lily Heil, 12, a seventh-grade student from McLean, Va., agrees that kids at school could easily pass off Zippers as regular gelatin snack packs. "Once you rip off the lid that says it has alcohol," she says, "it looks just like Jell-O." Meanwhile, Zippers seem to be a hit among some bar owners. "I have five people at least on a busy night doing nothing but selling these things," says Gingi Bakri, who owns Cotton Eyed Joes, a 30,000 square-foot country music bar in Knoxville, Tenn. He says he sells about 10,000 Zippers a month at his bar for $2 or $3 each. "The profit margin on these things is unbelievable," says Bakri, who buys Zippers wholesale. "You get a good-looking girl or guy selling these things, and everyone wants to try it."
Sources:
Alcohol Articles
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