Critics say new alcoholic drinks target teens

With prom season and all its
attendant hazards around the corner, some law enforcers and health
advocates are adding one more cause for parents to worry — a new
alcoholic beverage called Spykes that is sized, flavored and priced in
a way that critics say is aimed at teens.

Spykes, made by
Anheuser-Busch, is a malt beverage with 12 percent alcohol content —
about the same as wine. It comes in mango, lime, melon and chocolate
flavors and is infused with caffeine as well as the herbs ginseng and
guarana. Sold in 2-ounce bottles that go for 75 cents to a dollar
apiece, Spykes “gives kick to your beer, flavor to your drink, and is a
perfect shot,” according to the promotional Web site, http://www.spykeme.com/.

It’s also cute — about the size of a nail polish bottle — so it can easily slip into the tiniest clutch purse or tuxedo pocket.

“It’s
the perfect drink for a child,” lamented Judi Vining, coordinator of
the Coalition to Prevent Underage Drinking in Long Beach, N.Y. She has
started a campaign to alert parents and law enforcers in her area, and
persuade retailers not to carry the product.

“Prom
season and graduation season are coming up,” said Vining, who notes how
easy it would be to conceal Spykes. “It’s scary. We don’t want to see
people die.”

Anheuser-Busch
rejects the criticism, saying Spykes is merely its response to
“contemporary adult consumers” who it says are “looking for innovative
alcohol beverages to match their active lifestyles.” The company’s
communications office said no one was available to b