What will they think of next?

Critics Bash Sneaky "BYOB" Trinkets
By Renee Nadeau
The Boston Herald
Sunday, May 6, 2007
www.bostonherald.com

Anti-teen drinking advocates are speaking out this prom season against cunning new products they charge are designed to help teens hide alcohol.

Since January, Anheuser-Busch has been selling fruity-flavored, brightly hued Spykes malt liquor, which comes in two-ounce vials that resemble nail polish bottles.

The caffeine- and ginseng-infused shots, which can also be mixed in beer, come in flavors including spicy mango and hot chocolate.

“It’s hard to read into their marketing strategy,” said Stephen Wallace, national chairman of Students Against Destructive Decisions and a former school psychologist. “Regardless of their intentions, if they see that it’s appealing to kids . . . they need to do something about it.”

West Bridgewater recently banned the sale of the concoctions, as have several towns in other states, Wallace said.

“Rather than banning products, perhaps the city would be better served focusing on preventing youth access to alcohol by training retailers to properly check IDs, supporting law enforcement officials in enforcing underage-drinking laws, and encouraging parents to set rules and consequences for their sons and daughters,” Anheuser-Busch Vice President for Communications and Consumer Affairs Francine I. Katz said in an e-mailed statement to the Herald yesterday.

“We are adamantly opposed to underage drinking, and no company has done more to demonstrate its commitment to proactively fighting this problem than Anheuser-Busch,” Katz stated.

Beverages can be secreted in other new products as well. Surfwear company Reef makes a sandal called “BYOB” with a hidden canteen in the heel. According to the company Web site, it comes with a “church key to open your ‘soda bottle.’ ”

“We watch for odd behavior, like someone doing something with a shoe,” said Sharon Hansen, principal of Avon Middle High School, where students must take a Breathalyzer test to enter all dances.

Nevada-based Under Development Inc. manufactures the “Beer Belly,” a pouch that is strapped over the shoulders under a shirt, giving the wearer a portly appearance.

The company describes the product as “fun-based” and says its creator designed the device to help athletes stay hydrated. In a statement on its Web site, the firm says: “UDI does not encourage or condone excessive drinking, breaking the law or public nudity.”

But teens have long hidden alcohol in gadgets, including the “beernoculars,” a double-barrel flask.

And Wallace warns that low-tech methods are still common, including planting booze on the premises to be retrieved on the big night.

"No matter what you do, students can circumvent your supervision,” Hanson said.