Debate bubbles over kid's drink in liquor stores

[RedHot25]

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/sto...e.html?ref=rss

A bubbly, non-alcoholic children's drink for sale in Alberta liquor stores has upset Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Robby Bubble comes in a champagne-style bottle with colourful cartoon characters on the label and the words "Party, Party!"
On the drink's website, children are shown dancing with a cartoon band and drinking the sparkling fruit juice out of champagne flutes. The product's slogan is "Celebrate like the grown-ups."

....

Weinbren said a few hundred bottles were ordered by one chain of liquor stores in Alberta, and the drink isn't being sold anywhere else. Robby Bubble hasn't sold as well as the liquor store chain had hoped and he doesn't expect the company to place another order.

[Ayrahb]

And for a truly realistic grown-up experience, kids can also buy:

[RougeUnderoos]

Kids are going to emulate their parents no matter what, so someone might as well make a little cash out of the deal.

When I was about 8 I tried to copy what I had seen my dad doing and I ended up spending a night in the hospital with a nose full of icing sugar.

[RedHot25]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

When I was about 8 I tried to copy what I had seen my dad doing and I ended up spending a night in the hospital with a nose full of icing sugar.

Badda-boom...

[Daradon]

I was going o say, the story sounded true. Ouch.

Out of curiousity, how much sugar DID you inhale that you had to go to the hospital? I could be completely wrong, but I can't imagine icing sugar being that harmful. At least not as harmful as what your dad was doing. Weird world. Coke won't send you to the hospital but icing sugar will.

[RougeUnderoos]

Well I better nip this one in the bud before everyone starts feeling sorry for me -- I was just joking. I never inhaled icing sugar and the thought of my old man doing some lines actually brings a smile to my face because it's so preposterous.

He did drink beer and smoke cigarettes in front of me though and today I, well, nevermind.

This kind of thing probably has happened in reality though so I guess I shouldn't joke about it with a bunch of people who don't know me.

[RedHot25]

He is merely covering for me, Fotze.

[Daradon]

Well don't usually fall for stuff like that, but you guys got me hook, line, and sinker. Well done.

I was wondering how icing sugar would send you to the hospital... as seen by the query above.

Back to te thread. I'm sure the product is not nearly as harmful as many think it is. I mean we all liked to pretend to drink or smoke when we were young because of our parents.

But the product definitely is in bad taste.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Daradon

Well don't usually fall for stuff like that, but you guys got me hook, line, and sinker. Well done.

I was wondering how icing sugar would send you to the hospital... as seen by the query above.

Back to te thread. I'm sure the product is not nearly as harmful as many think it is. I mean we all liked to pretend to drink or smoke when we were young because of our parents.

But the product definitely is in bad taste.

Ha. Sorry.

It's a pretty funny product. "Robby Bubble" is an eleven year old boy flying around the world on a magic cork, showing up at children's celebrations and having a hell of a time. He will, just like real booze, "never fail to cheer you up when you are feeling sad".

It really is just fruit juice so it's not a big deal, but they shouldn't be shilling it in liquor stores. It just seems weird, sort of like selling Dora The Explorer cartoons at Source Adult Video. There is something creepy about it.

[ken0042]

My thought- perhaps it isn't that bad of an idea. I recall being a kid of about 10 years old, and at family gatherings like Christmas being allowed to have a very small glass of wine; just to be included as part of the family. The glasses my sister and I got were pretty much fancy shot glasses; I doubt they help more than 1.5 ounces.

This way parents can now bring home 2 bottles of wine; one for the kids and one for the adults, and the kids don't have to be given any alcohol.

[Thunderball]

Originally Posted by ken0042

My thought- perhaps it isn't that bad of an idea. I recall being a kid of about 10 years old, and at family gatherings like Christmas being allowed to have a very small glass of wine; just to be included as part of the family. The glasses my sister and I got were pretty much fancy shot glasses; I doubt they help more than 1.5 ounces.

This way parents can now bring home 2 bottles of wine; one for the kids and one for the adults, and the kids don't have to be given any alcohol.

I was raised in a European household, so maybe my attitudes on alcohol are much more liberal than the average North American poster, but I've always felt it was important for children to have a bit of alcohol (ie: a glass of wine with dinner). It was engrained in me at a very young age that alcohol is a cultural thing, and drinking is always social and happy, to be done with friends and family, and never to abuse it. I had my first glass of wine around 9 (at first with a little sprite), but when I was about 12, there was always a glass of wine by my plate. When I was about 14, I always had a beer at family gatherings as well as my traditional glass of wine with dinner.

When I turned 18, it was just another day. I didn't get hammered (since I had been buying beer, wine and spirits underage for 2 years). This is a much different story than most of my friends, who had alcohol treated as a taboo, and proceeded to abuse it like crazy when they turned 18.

"Robby Bubble" is not a bad idea to me, since it can be used to teach kids the social aspect of alcohol, and trains them to be responsible drinkers the older they get. Of course, there's sparkling apple juice at Safeway in Champagne bottles that does the same thing without the bad connotation of getting drunk.

[SpitFire40]

I saw that the other day and was like... ehhh WTF. Train those Bar stars young!