Firstly, the Queensland Consumer Association is enraged that an energy drink called Cocaine will soon be available in Australia (it’s already in stores in the US and Britain).
The association’s state secretary Max Howard said calling a drink Cocaine is just wrong and trivialising an illicit drug is unethical. He’ll seek advice from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission as to whether the beverage can be marketed in Australia.
It’s madness people! First you drink an innocent glass of milk, then you graduate to a glass of Cocaine and before you know it your snorting powder off a toilet seat in Kings Cross!
We can’t put all the blame on Cocaine though. Until 1903 Coca-Cola (or Coke) had nine milligrams of cocaine per glass. Surely that, it’s irresistable red cans, and the fact it’s called Coke is the reason our kids are turning to drugs?
It doesn’t stop at the soda giants either.
Drug groups and outraged parents say Jim Beam-branded chips (which do not contain alcohol but are bourbon whiskey-flavoured) are promoting alcohol to kids. However, a spokesman for Jim Beam said the chips were not marketed towards children and were intended to be sold mostly in bottle shops.
Unlike Cocaine there are some legitmate concerns here, but I wouldn’t worry too much. John Della Bosca has a plan.
News Ltd writes he’ll argue for a ban on alcohol advertising at a national ministerial council meeting in November.
Ban. Ban. Ban. Problem solved. No?
