New voices, a specialist in children’s rights and another in toxicologythey warned Télam that the decision of supermarket chains and retailers of introduce flavored waters as “non-alcoholic cider” and, in some cases, disposing of their containers -populated with children’s motifs- together with highly alcoholic beverages occurs in a health context in which alcohol intake begins at ever earlier ages.
“The (approach of) problematic consumption (of alcohol) is a everyone’s responsibility, not only through public policies aimed at prevention and care, but also by generating greater awareness among the population, especially those who care for children. For this reason, anything that in any way directly or indirectly promotes alcohol consumption is not right,” he reflected. Marisa Graham, defender of the Rights of Children and Adolescents of the Nation.
A first warning was given last Wednesday by the Forum of Argentine Scientific Societies of Civil Society Organizations and Universities, which pointed out that the “non-alcoholic ciders” – strictly speaking, flavored drinks – presented under cartoon labels of Cinematographic “tanks” such as Minions, Frozen, Toy Story, Cars, Mickey and even Santa Claus constitute “misleading advertising” for being sold in the gondolas along with alcoholic beverages.
“Anything that in any way directly or indirectly promotes alcohol consumption is not right”Marisa Graham
“Since alcohol consumption during childhood and adolescence can disturb the course of development of certain brain regions, due to the greater vulnerability of the brain in these stages, its consumption should not be promoted and promoted in these age groups,” he said. on that occasion the Forum.
The description “non-alcoholic cider” is not printed on the beverage packaging, but has been incorporated by large and small marketers on shelf labels, in their printed catalogs of products and offers, and on websites. These same products are described in this way on marketing platforms such as MercadoLibre. Consulted by this agency, Graham maintained that “It’s pretty hard to tell whether or not there’s misleading advertising. in this case, because from what we could see of the bottle’s packaging, the word ‘cider’ is not included. The problem is that supermarkets or pages that sell this product on the Internet add ‘non-alcoholic cider’ and put it on the shelves along with alcoholic beverages.”
The defender remarked that the word “cider” is associated with “alcohol” – regardless of whether it does not have it – added to the use of cartoons “generates controversy”, since there can be no advertisements that could encourage children to consume alcohol .
In this sense, article 6 of the National Law for the Fight against Alcoholism N| 24,788 indicates: “Any advertising or incentive for the consumption of alcoholic beverages, which is directed at children under 18 years of age, is prohibited”.
“Any metamessage that induces alcohol consumption in children or adolescents is a serious problem and must be controlled by the authorities, not only in the manufacture but also in the presentation of the packaging. The message that is given is ‘I drank quiet cider that does not cause problems ‘, and the population has to understand that alcohol consumption is a health problem,” said Omar Tabacco, President of the Argentine Society of Pediatrics (SAP).
According to the latest report from the Secretariat of Comprehensive Drug Policies of the Argentine Nation (Sedronar), which dates from 2017 and was carried out by the National Directorate of the Argentine Drug Observatory, more than half (54.4%) of people belonging to the age group 12 to 17 years consumed alcoholic beverages in the last year.
“Any metamessage that induces alcohol consumption in children or adolescents is a serious problem and must be controlled by the authorities, not only in manufacturing but also in packaging presentation”Omar Tobacco
“The serious problem we have in childhood is that alcohol consumption is increasing at an early age, presenting problematic consumption from the age of 12,” said Graham.
Meanwhile, he stressed the importance of the application of Frontal Labeling Law No. 27,642 so that “families know what they are buying and what their sons and daughters are going to consume”, and so that the components that has the product and see “how healthy is this or any drink”.
Angeles Incerti (30), mother of Emma (4), saw the “cider” in the supermarket, days before Christmas. “She had a drawing from the movie Frozen on her label, and I told her ‘look, cider for children, that’s how you toast.’ the children’s cider’ that he finally drank with his cousins,” he told this agency.
Incerti clarified that “the label did not indicate that it was cider” and that, on the occasion of its purchase, “it was not in the gondola with alcoholic beverages”, but with juices and soft drinks, but that if it was in other supermarkets “would be wrong”
Regarding whether these drinks can encourage alcohol consumption, he mentioned that “we live surrounded by alcohol at meetings, parties, and family barbecues, that can encourage it, not a drink with drawings that is used once a year for them to play toast”.
Regarding the impact that alcohol consumption generates on the health of children and adolescents, Silvia Cortese, head of the toxicology unit at Hospital Fernández and vice president of the Argentine Toxicological Association (ATA), responded to this agency that “the development of the human brain, that is to say, the prefrontal area that is the one that has to do with decision-making and with the choices that one makes, occurs from the time one is born to the age of 24, that is why the incorporation of substances -alcohol, smoking – before that age have an impact on neurodevelopment”.
Due to this, Law No. 24,788 prohibits the sale of any type of alcoholic beverages to persons under 18 years of age throughout the country.
Cortese remarked that the age of initiation of consumption is 13 years, and “to raise this age you have to work on the protection and risk factors.”
By way of example, he mentioned carrying out campaigns so that alcohol is not consumed during pregnancy, alcohol does not circulate as something normal in the family’s daily life, but its consumption is more limited, and that there should not be any type of advertising that encourages consumption, since “studies show that the more exposure adolescents have to alcohol advertising, the more likely they are to start consuming or increase the amount they drink.”
