Leave it to teenagers to take something as wholesome as gummy bears and turn it into booze-soaked mischief. They're sweet, cute and alcoholic. Drunk gummy bear candy is now trending and slowly making its way to our area.
The Internet exacerbates the problem. Tens of thousands of people have already watched one YouTube video that shows viewers how to make vodka gummy bears, soaking the candy in vodka for several days and eating it to get a buzz.
Both parents and teens are disturbed by the trend. One student commented, "It's kind of scary, because I like gummy bears, and I'm kind of scared because it's something you have to really keep an eye on."
It's a big trend, so popular that one police department has posted a warning on its Facebook page. Police say because teens are eating handfuls of candy, they don't know how much alcohol they're ingesting at a time. The teens get drunk fast without their parents finding a trace of illicit substances. "On Google alone there are over 59,000 hits, you tube has over 80 hits on how to process this," said police captain Dave Westrick.
“Talking to teens is the best way for parents to stay ahead of the curve. Children need to feel comfortable to have open communication with the parent," said Donna Golob, Executive Director of A Positive Approach to Teen Health. "But if the parent gets over emotional or angry or upset when that child's sharing something, the child will stop sharing. Causing a child to feel uncomfortable will stop the conversation and the parent’s ability to offer suggestions and guidelines."
"It is important that this information be shared with your teens, school administrators, and other parents. Once you know the information, take a minute to talk to your tweens and teens. Letting kids know you know the latest trends can be helpful in keeping the communication channels open. That is one of the reasons we take the time to send out these Parent Alerts when we hear about this type of thing," commented Golob.