One of the hopes that I have for my blog is to help identify potential risky teen trends and to inform other youth workers and parents of those trends.  This way we can be proactive in addressing potentially dangerous or harmful behavior with the teens in our lives.

Recently I saw a news story about how teens are smuggling alcohol into area school disguised as gummy candy and it has become an issue in that city and school district.  I know how media can blow up potential trends more than they are. So I did some asking around and have found several youth workers who confirm that they have heard of or seen youth practicing this.

They are called Drunken Gummy Bears or Boozy Bears and they involve Vodka soaked gummy candy.  Now, like most alcohol related trends I have seen before, I found several websites geared towards adult consumers of alcohol showing how to make these bears. Which leads me to believe this is a fun way to serve alcohol at an adult party that teens have caught onto. The scary thing about these Boozy Bears is that no one would question a teen having a bag of Gummy Bears or Gummy worms in school, at home or out in public.

Now do I believe this is widespread? No I don’t see evidence of that yet. But I do feel this is a good example of how with the internet teens can learn clever ways of sneaking/consuming alcohol or other illegal substances right in front of adults.  So as youth workers and parents, we need to be aware of what Boozy Bears are.  If you have a teen who is eating gummy candies, ask for one. If they get defensive or deny you, then you may have reason to be concerned.

To check out the news article I referenced earlier Click here.