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Town officials ban sale of alcohol-spiked malt liquor - Anheuser-Busch

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Home » Discuss » Archives » General Discussion (1/22-2007 thru 12/14/2010)

Breeze54

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Wed Apr-11-07 03:42 PM
Original message

Town officials ban sale of alcohol-spiked malt liquor - Anheuser-Busch

Edited on Wed Apr-11-07 03:58 PM by Breeze54

Town officials ban sale of alcohol-spiked malt liquor

http://www3.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO48651/

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

See also:
http://enterprise.southofboston.com/articles/2007/04/10/news/news/news03.txt

WEST BRIDGEWATER, Mass. --

Town selectmen in West Bridgewater are upset over a colorful alcohol-spiked malt liquor
that many say is targeting towards children.

In a meeting Tuesday night, the town banned the sale of Spykes, a fruity alcoholic beverage
that is distributed by Anheuser-Busch.

The drink, which comes in such flavors as Spicy Mango and Hot Melons, is small enough to
hide in a pocket, as it comes in a two-ounce bottle.

"I'm quite frankly disgusted with Anheuser-Busch for their lack of corporate responsibility
in this case," Matthew Albanese, Chairman of the West Bridgewater selectmen, said.
"Every year, communities such as West Bridgewater spend thousands of dollars... educating
our children on the dangers of alcohol abuse."

Town officials say that the Web site promoting Spykes is a clear enough example of how the
company is targeting teens.

"There are instant-messenging accessories, ringtones that are available, so this is clearly
an effort to target a younger demographic," Albanese said.

According to Anheuser-Busch, the company only markets its product to adults,
and should not be blamed for underage drinking.

Yeah...okay. :eyes: I believe them...NOT!!!
And right on time for proms and graduations.
Gheesh.

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Dora

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Wed Apr-11-07 03:46 PM
Response to Original message

1. Yeah, and Joe Camel wasn't a kid-friendly cartoon character.

I hate the alcohol purveyors.

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Kolesar

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Wed Apr-11-07 03:51 PM
Response to Reply #1

4. Too bad for Joe Camel, he did not have ring tones in his day

Notice that the bottles are rounded like my cell phone to easily hide in a pocket.

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Breeze54

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Wed Apr-11-07 03:51 PM
Response to Reply #1

5. I'm really glad

my son wants to split the cost of a limo, if he does go to the prom.
He doesn't drink or smoke or anything, but that's a night that
'shit happens', as we all know. I hate the thought of hearing
about kids getting scraped off the pavement on what's supposed
to be a happy celebration and a step into adulthood.
They don't need encouragement like that 'new' drink either.

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NormanYorkstein

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:03 PM
Response to Reply #5

12. we should lower the drinking age to 18, and RAISE the driving age to 21

Seriously they are a danger on the road totally sober. I say let them drink and party at HOME and stay off the damn streets before they kill more people.

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Breeze54

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:11 PM
Response to Reply #12

16. Well,

I've been reading about parents being arrested for allowing parties with alcohol.
So, I'm not sure what the solution is anymore. I won't be throwing a party for them! ;)
I voted to lower the drinking age to 18, when I was 18! One of my first ballots questions.
Driving is another thing. Some kids can't handle it, some can. Depends on the kid.
My perspective has changed somewhat, over the years. I lost seven friends in high
school, in two cars - same accident, during the prom/graduation season.

I'll never forget that.

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NormanYorkstein

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:19 PM
Response to Reply #16

20. cars kill more people than anything

outside of smoking or something. More people than the WTC attacks, more people than all the troops lost in Iraq. It's a horrific tragedy and I don't understand why we allow it to continue.

I wish they could strengthen the training and tests you take to get a driver's license, and I think they should suspend and cancel the licenses of drunk drivers etc immediately forever.

As I write this some dumb 17 year old just piling his car into someone killing a few, ho hum it's a daily occurance :mad:

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Breeze54

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:33 PM
Original message

They just added more restrictions

on young drivers here in MA.

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NormanYorkstein

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:02 PM
Response to Reply #1

11. Remember "Camel Cash"?

When I was underage I got a bunch of those from someone and sent in to get a free t-shirt, and they put me on a mailing list and sent me - I shit you not - a "scientific study" showing that they never really "proved" smoking causes cancer.

Didn't Bush just bail out the tobacco companies? Seriously their CEOs should be in prison for lying and killing generations of Americans.

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SteppingRazor

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Wed Apr-11-07 03:48 PM
Response to Original message

2. And worse still...

this is teaching our children to prefer cheap, disgusting hooch. They could at least have the decency to market, say, 15-year-old Scotch to kids. :evilgrin:

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Dora

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Wed Apr-11-07 03:57 PM
Response to Reply #2

8. You make a good point. n/t

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SteppingRazor

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:01 PM
Response to Reply #8

9. No, you made a good point in post #1...

Edited on Wed Apr-11-07 04:01 PM by SteppingRazor

I made a wise-assed, not particularly clever point :P

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Dora

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:16 PM
Response to Reply #9

19. My point about your point, wise-assed as you say it was ...

Kids are going to discover alcohol, and they'll probably do the most discovery between the ages of 12-16. My husband knew he was destined to become a drunk when he had his first beer at 15. Fortunately, he kicked it at 30.

Your point leads me to this: I'd rather teach my son about the art and craft of alcohol distillery and the short and long-term effects of alcohol consumption, than have him resort to shoplifting a kidfriendly 4 oz of fortified bile manufactured by Anheuser-Busch just to find out what it means to get a buzz on.

Which tastes better? A wise-assed not particularly clever point or a wide-assed pontification?

Mmmm. Wise trumps wide, every time.

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Breeze54

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:22 PM
Response to Reply #19

22. DARE convinced

my son he didn't want anything to do with alcohol or drugs.
They drilled it into the kids but not all his friends got the message
I'm glad he listened though. But it doesn't mean he still wouldn't be
tempted on prom night. Scares me.

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frylock

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:26 PM
Response to Reply #22

24. dare is a TERRIBLE failure and waste of taxpayer money..

do some Googling to find out about DARE's strong-armed tactics of silencing critics who understand what a load of crap the program is.

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Breeze54

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:31 PM
Response to Reply #24

27. I can't agree with

that concerning my son. I didn't agree with him attending either
because it strayed into morals about other crimes and misdeameanors.
But when I protested I was told he would be 'singled' out and that
was just not something he wanted in 5th grade. They would've had him
sit in another room alone during the class. It worked for him, though.

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frylock

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:24 PM
Response to Reply #2

23. mango flavored, of course!

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SoCalDem

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:37 PM
Response to Reply #2

33. And to THINK.. that in MY day, kids drank elegant stuff like

Ripple..Thunderbird..BoonesFarm

Ripple & 7-up is actually quite tasty :)...

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Tandalayo_Scheisskopf

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Wed Apr-11-07 03:50 PM
Response to Original message

3. Oh barf.

I don't drink, haven't for going on 10 years, but I remember these kiddie drinks. Most of them taste not unlike sucking on a car battery.

A-B must have been trolling the psychiatric hospitals for the most developed sociopaths, to recruit them for their marketing department.

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Breeze54

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Wed Apr-11-07 03:54 PM
Response to Reply #3

6. Boones Farm ring any bells??

Edited on Wed Apr-11-07 03:57 PM by Breeze54

I remember that crap!

Kids that age don't drink to savor the taste, imho. ;)
A cheap, fast 'high' is the goal for that age group.

Meant to add "Good for you"! Ten years?
You should be proud of yourself. :thumbsup:

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Tandalayo_Scheisskopf

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:01 PM
Response to Reply #6

10. Too many bells, thanks.

In my era, Boone's Farm was used to re-hydrate the palate during a heavy session with the bong. Then, one would do a wheels-up landing and drool on oneself, in the middle of the party. Smooth. Stylish. Urbane. Really made a great impression with the distaff types.

As for the 10 years: Ain't no thang. Some of the better years of my life, the struggles be damned. I shudder to think what life would have been like if I carried on.

Besides shorter, with a lot of feet slapping against the ground, I mean.

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Breeze54

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:04 PM
Response to Reply #10

13. I forgot about the bongs and doobies!

:rofl:

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Tandalayo_Scheisskopf

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:07 PM
Response to Reply #13

15. I am flabbergasted...

That I remember, upon reflection. ;-)

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AlCzervik

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:07 PM
Response to Reply #6

14. oh yeah, that and Riuniti, we used call that "Ruin ur nite".

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Breeze54

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:13 PM
Response to Reply #14

18. I still like Riuniti! lol!

But I never buy it anymore. It's hard to find, actually.

"Ruin ur nite" :rofl: I think we used the same phrase! ;)
Wasn't that the truth! "I'm Wrecked!!!!"

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AlCzervik

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:19 PM
Response to Reply #18

21. Did ever get the jug o Carlo Rossi wine? That stuff came in gallon bottles.

you could either get "Red death or Clear death". Omg when i think about how many saturday mornings i was horking up cheap wine thorugh high school and college.

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Breeze54

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:28 PM
Response to Reply #21

26. I don't recall that but

I do remember Liebfraumilch! The bottles were pretty! ;)
This is a newer design but it used to come in ceramic bottles.

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monmouth

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Wed Apr-11-07 03:55 PM
Response to Original message

7. I would have thought AB was more responsible.....n/t

Edited on Wed Apr-11-07 03:55 PM by monmouth

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90-percent

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:12 PM
Response to Reply #7

17. big tobacco and bush

Aren't some of the US Attorney firings related to the big tobacco settlement?

If I remember correctly, some people say that Big Tobacco lost a suit with the US government and were on track to pay about TWO HUNDRED BILLION to the government to settle.

I think the White House MADE THE PROSECUTORS settle for 20 million instead. So Big Tobacco paid about .01% of the original settlement!!!!! But, with this magnificent Bush Surplus we're all enjoying, who needs additional revenue for government, anyway? Better to let Big Tobacco FAT CATS keep their $200,000,000 bonuses for "a job well done"!

Joe Camel wasn't all bad. They had both a nitro funny car and Top Fuel car out there for a few years in the late 90's.

Collectors are driving Joe Camel die cast collectibles through the roof!

-85% Jimmy

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soothsayer

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:27 PM
Response to Original message

25. and 2 oz of 5% crappy tasting booze is a threat because why?

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AlCzervik

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:33 PM
Response to Reply #25

28. Think of the children---won't you?

:D

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Breeze54

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:43 PM
Response to Reply #25

35. Seems obvious to me...

They can stuff them in their socks and go to the prom

and then drive home all fucked up!! Wheeeeee!

The town that banned it has a college and a lot of accidents.

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TroglodyteScholar

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:33 PM
Response to Original message

29. Get your Spykes Malt Liquor here:

:eyes:

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Breeze54

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:52 PM
Response to Reply #29

39. and it's a JR. market...

lol...how clever! Must be like the mini-markets we have up here.

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SoCalDem

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:35 PM
Response to Original message

30. People (kids) who want it, will just get it somewhere else

cars exist..so do neighboring towns/cities

banning stuff does NOT work

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AlCzervik

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:36 PM
Response to Reply #30

32. correct.

:toast:

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Breeze54

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:46 PM
Response to Reply #30

36. It probably won't stop all. Agreed.

Edited on Wed Apr-11-07 04:47 PM by Breeze54

But that town, I guess, doesn't want it.

ps. I don't live there. ;) I was just posting the story.

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SoCalDem

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:49 PM
Response to Reply #36

37. I know. I know.. City Council Geezers are the same everywhere

An ounce of power = a TON of lame resolutions :)

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HiFructosePronSyrup

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:36 PM
Response to Original message

31. 1. Adults like bright colors too.

2. Adults like fruit flavored alcoholic beverages.

3. If a kid gets a hold of alcohol, that's the problem between him and the person who gave it too them.

4. This looks like Mad Dog 20/20. The cheap booze favored by the homeless. I've seen attempts to ban that too, and it's mostly an attempt against the homeless, not the alcohol. Like that Orlando law banning feeding homeless people.

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gravity

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:37 PM
Response to Original message

34. What about Mad Dog, Cisco, Mike's Hard Lemonade, Sparx, Bacradi O etc

There are lots of drinks that could be marketed towards kids.

2oz bottles with 12% alcohol are not going to be a problem, when they are a whole lot worst stuff out there.

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Breeze54

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:50 PM
Response to Reply #34

38. Do those come in tiny bottles?

I thought they were larger, like the old coke bottles. 12 oz?

I agree though. There are a lot of other choices.

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juno jones

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Wed Apr-11-07 04:53 PM
Response to Original message

40. This marketing stuff is just getting out of hand

May I suggest a book called "Ashes to Ashes" by Richard Kluger. Quite a bit of it deals with the marketing aspects of cigs, when the companies started merging into megacorps (for instance phillip morris is now also Kraft foods and Miller beer, which are now along with a few other things obliquely named "Atria"). They took the marketing of snack foods (mainly directed at children) and expanded that into the dizzing array of trash that we have today, creating markets, especially amongst youth, for the least healthy stuff on the planet. I heartily recommend this book for a good history lesson on tobacco, lies, and marketing.

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Breeze54

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Wed Apr-11-07 05:00 PM
Response to Reply #40

41. I'll have to

buy that and gift it to my sister.

She used to be in marketing.

Thanks for the info.

And Welcome to DU! :hi:

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MadHound

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Wed Apr-11-07 05:39 PM
Response to Original message

42. Oh geez,

Lots of alcoholic beverages have and are marketed to a younger democgraphic. Hard lemonade, wine coolers, lots of premixed, pre packaged drinks, virtually all of the sweet, fruity froo froo drinks are aimed squarely at the younger drinkng demographic. And as far as ringtones, IM accessories and other such goodies, well gee, most twenty somethings that I've seen are obcessed about their phones, so what's more natural.

And frankly, if a kid wants alcohol, they're going to drink it whether it's fruity and primary colored or not.

This country really needs to grow up about alcohol. The Europeans handle this much better than us, rather than treating it as some big taboo, making it all the more enticing, they introduce it to their children at a young age, teach responsible drinking, and have fewer problems with alcohol.

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