Government ignored pleas to act on potent pre-mixed drinks like FCKD UP, say public health experts

The death of 14-year-old Athena Gervaismighthave been prevented had governments heeded their calls about pre-mixed drinks with high levels of sugar and alcoholmonths ago, say doctors and other public health experts.

"This was anticipated. It was obvious that it would come one day," said Hubert Sacy, the director ofduc'alcool,a non-profit group that promotes moderate alcohol consumption in Quebec.

"It's such a sad story such a sad story that could have been avoided so easily. If only everyone would have taken their responsibilities when it was time."

Athena disappeared last Monday after spending the school lunch periodwith her friends. Herbody was pulled froma stream near her Laval high school Friday.

An unidentified friend of Athena told La Presse that she drank at least one can of the malt-liquor beverage FCKD UP during the lunch hour before she disappeared and was having trouble walking.

Police have not confirmed this information but do say her death was accidental. They are awaiting a toxicology report to determine if Athena had been drinking, but investigators have said alcohol may have been a factor.

Maker of FCKDUPhalts production

As a result of the teen's death, the Quebec producer of FCKD UP announced it was halting production.

Couche-Tard, a Quebec chain ofconvenience stores, hasalso removed the drinkfrom its shelves across the province.FCKDUP was available at a convenience storecloseto the school.

However,Sacyand other public healthexperts say another drink like it could come along tomorrow and that it is not enough for marketers to pull a product to protect their reputation.

Last fall, an emergency room doctorwarned that the new generation of potent, premixed was contributing to teens ending up in hospital every weekend with alcohol poisoning.Speaking to CBC Montreal'sDaybreakat the time, Dr. Robert Foxforddescribed the state of young people arriving in the ERas "comatose."

One can ofFCKDUP, which contains 11.9 per cent malt alcohol,is the equivalent of drinking several beers,Foxfordsaid.

The alcohol is combined with sugar andguarana a natural stimulant that containscaffeine whichalso worries doctors.

'There's something wrong here'

Andr Pratte, an independent Quebec senator and former editor-in-chief of the Montreal French daily La Presse, wrote a letter to federal Health MinisterGinette Petitpas Taylor last weekend, imploring Health Canada to enact regulations that could make such potent, pre-mixeddrinks safer.

Prattesaid he acted because he "found that story very moving" and is one of the few senators in the country from Quebec.

He acknowledged many details of what happened to Athenaare still missing, however, he said it's disturbing to learn high school students are able to buy and consume drinks like FCKDUP on their lunch hour, "and get so intoxicated that they can't stand up, and they're not able to go back to their courses."

"You know, I just think that there's something wrong there," Pratte told CBC.

Drinks fall within law

In Canada, it's illegal to mix alcohol and caffeine in a premixed beverage. However,there's no prohibition on substances that contain caffeine, such asguarana, a key ingredient of FCKD UP.

Quebec Public Health Minister Lucie Charlebois, who is alsominister responsible for youth, said the sugar and alcohol levels in the drink concernher. She said she, too, is calling on Health Canada, which has the say in what goes into beverages,to regulate them.

However, it's the role ofthe provincial government toapprove a company's advertisements for alcoholic beverages.

"How come we can produce those kinds of things and sell those kinds of things, and still be within the law right now?" askedmilie Dansereau-Trahan of the Quebec Association for Public Health.

Drinks that can't be stored or closed after being opened, such as the 568-ml aluminum cans used to package FCKDUP, should only contain one serving of alcohol, Dansereau-Trahansaid.

The company's colourful and flashy marketing also clearly appeals tominors, she said.

"It's really sad," she said. "It always takes a death or many deaths for something to happen at our government level."