HOUSTON – Vodka is a powerful alcohol that no teen should be experimenting with, but many do in part because of its relatively mild alcohol odor. Kids think it's harder for their parents, police, coaches and teachers to detect and it's become even harder now that teens are concealing it in gummy candy.
Kids across the country know about it, and police said it's something parents should, too.
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"Kids are using this as a way to bypass identification of bringing alcohol into events and into school," Officer Andy Breidenich said.
They're getting away with it because the alcohol is hidden in the candy. The teens are pouring alcohol over any kind of gummy candy and then letting it sit overnight. The alcohol doesn't evaporate; it gets completely soaked up by the candy.
"For most people it would probably put them in a hospital. That is a lot of alcohol. That is a lot of vodka," said Breidenich.
Mary Owens has six children. She was stunned after trying a boozy bear.
"They smell like gummy bears," said Owens just before eating one. "Huge difference, you can taste the alcohol - wow!"
Under the supervision of police, a test was done on a 23-year-old woman to determine the true impact of the vodka-infused gummies. After three handfuls of candy, her blood alcohol level was .038. That's high enough to land a minor in jail and about halfway to making her legally drunk if she was to get behind the wheel.
Kids who eat the loaded candy can't tell how much alcohol they have had, which increases the likelihood of an overdose.
"They may not realize the total amount, and by taking too many of those they can quickly have alcoholic shock and need medical treatment," said Breidenich.