Designer drinks and drunkenness amongst a sample of Scottish schoolchildren

There has been growing concern within the media and elsewhere over the recent development of alcoholic drinks which in aspects of their marketing, and in some cases their sweet taste, may particularly appeal to young people. These drinks include such white ciders as Ice Dragon, TNT, White Lightening, and Spectra White (many of which contain about 8% alcohol by volume), as well as such fruit wines as Maddog 20/20, Flavours for Ravers, and Fruits Unlimited (many of which contain about 13% alcohol by volume). We provide information on the consumption of these drinks in a representative sample of schoolchildren in Dundee, Scotland. These data were collected as part of an ongoing survey of young people's routes into illicit drug use.1 In November 1994, a 1 in 10 sample of all comprehensive school children in compulsory school years S1 to S4 (age 12 to 15) in Dundee was surveyed (n = 758). The five schools participating …