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Campaigners take shot at booze-inspired toys

News Clippings Emily Power, Herald Sun, October 19 2009

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BOOZE-inspired toys encouraging binge drinking have been slammed by alcohol safety campaigners ahead of schoolies week

The popularity during the party season of gadgets such as beer bongs and guns that shoot liquor has sparked calls for a national review into where alcohol-related paraphernalia is sold.

The Herald Sun bought a selection of the toys at a Melbourne gift shop. The gadgets are also available at adult-entertainment stores.

Are booze toys fuelling binge drinking or is it just a bit of fun? Have your say below

A surf-wear shop on the Gold Coast is being investigated by Queensland liquor authorities for stocking the same drinking games.

The alcohol shotgun ($34.99) instructs partygoers to “pour your favourite drink into the cartridge, cock the trigger, point and shoot”.

A plastic “Dad’s Thirst Aid” hard hat is fitted with straws ($14.99), and the packing of a beer bong ($9.99) boasts it is “the easiest and most fun way to down a beer in seconds”.

Plastic drinking straw glasses ($9.99) are marketed on the packaging as “great for kids and fun for adults”.

Family First senator Steve Fielding said an alcohol gun, which fires a 41ml stream of booze - 10ml larger than a standard shot size - should not be available where children shop.

States and territories’ liquor licensing and fair trade departments should review where they can be sold, Senator Fielding said.

“Alcohol and guns is a dangerous cocktail,” he said.

“If these were sold in bottle shops they would likely be under some sort of regulation.

“Clearly it is aimed at underage kids in an attractive package, to entice them to get their shot of alcohol.

“There is no doubt about it, these things will be used at schoolies, and you have to ask the question, ‘is it irresponsible’?”

Australian Drug Foundation National Policy Manager Geoff Munro said alcohol-related toys and board games had no place in a society with a heavy drinking culture.

“We are concerned about drinking games and toys that promote drinking to young people, and make light of excessive drinking around schoolies,” Mr Munro said.

“We think these toys and games should not be produced because they clearly encourage people to think of heavy drinking as a game, and that puts them at risk of suffering real harm.

“There is a duty of care here.”

Director of schoolies volunteer chaplaincy service Red Frog Crew, Andy Gourley, said teens did not need more excuses to drink to excess.

Mr Gourley said a disturbing trend of excessive consumption of top-shelf spirits had emerged at schoolies celebrations.

He said 70 per cent of call outs last year for over-intoxication were female schoolies.

Mr Gourley said some parents misguidedly supplied alcohol, thinking it would give them some control over their son or daughters’ wellbeing.

“Parents thinking they are doing the right thing are fuelling it more,” he said.

“It is the girls who are really taking the honours in the last couple of years.

“The main reason is the shift to the mixer drinks.

“It has this creep-up effect, which just hits them, and makes them susceptible to date rape.”

Red Frogs volunteers are visiting hundreds of schools in the lead-up to schoolies.

“We tell they need to stay in control, otherwise ugly guys look good when you are drunk,” Mr Gourley said.