A SHOT TOO FAR; EXCLUSIVE Test tubes of booze are TEN TIMES stronger than alcopops ... at pocket money prices.

Byline: BY CRYSTAL LUXMORE

CORNER shops have been accused of encouraging bingedrinking among kids by selling 'shooters' of absinthe - which are TEN TIMES stronger than alcopops.

A Sunday Mercury reporter discovered the 'Black Cauldron' test tubes of booze for sale on the counter of a Black Country store for just pounds 1.29 a time.

The shooters, made by Birmingham company Test Tube Products, have a 50 per cent alcohol strength, while the average alcopop is only around 5.5 per cent.

And pocket money prices make them easily available to young drinkers.

Last night, Annette Fleming of Aquarius, a leading West Midlands drugs and alcohol charity, said that she was 'horrified' by what the Sunday Mercury had found.

"These test tubes are highly appealing to young people, especially children who look old enough to buy alcohol, because they can pick them up at the counter when they buy chocolate or cigarettes," she said.

Her views were echoed by Andrew McNeil, spokesman for the Institute for Alcohol Studies.

"Cheap shooters with high alcohol content are clearly an incitement to drink excessively," he said.

"Anyone would be hard-pressed to claim that these products are made to be consumed by the responsible drinker the alcohol industry likes to claim are its customers.

"These products are clearly aimed at the youth market. I don't think you'd find many on display at the local golf club. They sell for pocket money prices youngsters can afford."

Test Tube Products director Sachia Nekic defended the shooters - but admitted that they should NOT be on sale on the counter.

"Under no circumstances do we sanction the selling of our products on the counter," he said.

"I think that's illegal."

The company, based in Newtown, sells the absinthe and sambuca test tubes in 25 stores across the country - but faces calls for them to be banned.

The Portman Group, regulatory body for the drinks industry, is currently reviewing its guidelines on shooters and slammers.

The Royal College of Physicians, Institute for Alcohol Studies and the Royal College of General Practitioners have called for a ban because they believe the products promote rapid drinking.

Binge-drinking among youngsters is on the rise. In the last 15 years, average weekly consumption of alcohol for 11 to 15 year-olds has doubled to 10.4 units.

Dr Usama Alalami, of UCE Birmingham, talks to Midland schoolchildren about the dangers of alcohol abuse - and warned that the shooters could fuel under-age boozing.

"Test tubes of absinthe strongly appeal to under-age drinkers because they get such a high concentration of alcohol at a low price," he said.

"Selling this product at corner shops is extremely irresponsible, especially when the problem of under-age drinking is on the rise."

Mr Nekic denied that the shooters appealed to under-18s.

"We are the most expensive drinks retailer in the UK," he said. "The biggest barrier to alcohol consumption is price.

"Kids have worked out they can buy one can of cheap, strong cider with four units of alcohol at almost the same price as one of our absinthe shooters, which only have one unit of alcohol. The real problem lies with the big breweries who make cheap and highly alcoholic cider and beer."

Mr Nekic claimed the shooter packaging had been carefully designed in consultation with the Portman Group to ensure that it did not appeal to under-18s.

And he pledged to withdraw the products from the Black Country store selling the shooters on its counter.

Should booze shooters be banned? Or are they just part of a fun night out? Write to Test Tubes, Sunday Mercury Letters, Weaman Street, Birmingham B4 6AY, e-mail SundayMercury@ mrn.co.uk or text 80010, starting your message with MERCLETTERS

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CAPTION(S):

WICKED SPIRIT: the Black Cauldron absinthe test tubes are being sold in stores around the Black Country SB240207BLACK-01; DANGER: there are fears kids will binge drink the tubes of booze