ALCOPOP ON SALE NEXT TO SWEETS

The Government is to introduce tough new measures to curb underage
drinking, following revelations that alcopops have been sold on the
chocolate racks of corner shops.

George Howarth, the Home Office Minister, is to recommend new action
to stop children obtaining alcohol outside the home, in a report to be
published next month. He is concerned that children as young as nine
have been found drunk, after getting the sugary alcoholic drinks known
as alcopops.

The Ministerial Committee on Underage Drinking - which includes
ministers from the Home Office, Department of Health, Ministry of
Agriculture and DTI - will propose moves to make it easier for police
and trading standards officers to clamp down on shops selling beer and
alcopops to minors.

The Government also wants new laws to stop adults from buying alcohol
for under-18s who are not their own children.

George Howarth is currently considering whether to introduce a
government watchdog on underage drinking or to leave it to the drinks
companies to regulate themselves.

At the moment, the Portman Group, a self-regulatory body funded by the
drinks industry, polices breaches of a code which prevents drinks
companies appealing to children with images of toys, sex or drugs.

A report by the Portman Group, to be published tomorrow, reveals that
a retailer in north London has been investigated for stocking
alcoholic "jelly" on its sweets counter.

The shop in Stoke Newington was displaying "the original jello shot",
a sweet alcohol-based jelly sold in small plastic pots. The product,
under investigation in its own right by the Portman Group, comes in
different flavours and colours. It is made by New Millennium Products,
a small manufacturer.

Trading standards officers were sent in, and the shop was told to stop
the display following an official warning from the Portman Group.

"The retailer was selling alcoholic jellies next to children's
sweets," said Mark Bennett of Alcohol Concern, the national charity on
alcohol misuse which spotted the sale. "These are pretty unpleasant
products in themselves."

The revelation comes in the Portman Group's quarterly report on
investigations against drinks companies. The organisation, which is
sufficiently influential to persuade retailers to refuse to stock a
drink, also ruled against Whitbread, the brewer, for using marijuana
leaves on the label of an alcopop called Wild Brew.

The group has also told shops not to stock a purple alcopop called
Stunn Potent Passion because its name can be associated with
"aggression" and "sexual success." The alcopop has purple packaging
featuring lightning striking, and the wording "strictly for adults
only!"

The Portman Group's code is designed to stamp out the excesses of
alcopops marketing but the Government remains concerned that drinks
companies are deliberately appealing to children with the bright
packaging, fruity taste and symbols of youth-culture.

Checked-by: Patrick Henry