Drink sparks a spirited debate; Americans are concerned at alcohol content.

Byline: Linda Richards 

VICTORIAN lemonade brewed in the North East is at the centre of an underage drinking row in America.

A spirited debate is raging about the soft drink after a teen at a school in Maine became concerned that it contained alcohol.

The boy handed it to his school principal who contacted the police and set in motion a series of complaints from substance abuse officials.

The drink is made by one of the North East's best-known soft drinks firms, Fentimans in Hexham, Northumberland and contains 0.5% alcohol.

Officials of the Aroostock Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition and the Maine Alliance to Prevent Substance Abuse argue that the lemonade should not be sold to anyone under the age of 21 and should be reclassified as "imitation liquor".

But Eldon Robson, Fentimans managing director and master brewer, is not unduly concerned by the controversy. He said: "I think it's quite amusing, really.

"Maine is of course where our Puritanical forefathers went because Britain was not strict enough and it has been said that Puritans are people who are always worried that someone, somewhere might be having fun.

"However, underage drinking is a serious matter and this issue does need to be clarified. In the past 25 years, we have only had a handful of polite enquiries about whether our drinks are suitable for children and all of these people have been quite satisfied when we explain that they are legally classified as soft drinks."

An article on the alcohol row first appeared in the local paper in Houlton and was then picked up by The Bangor Daily News, stirring up a heated online debate across the United States on whether children can drink Fentimans lemonade.

Maine's liquor licensing officials and the state Attorney General's office have been contacted in order to define who can sell and purchase Fentimans soft drinks and whether they fall into the category of "imitation liquor", which cannot be sold or consumed by minors under 21 in Maine.

Under state law, "imitation liquor" means any product containing less than half of 1% alcohol by volume which appears to imitate by appearance, taste and smell liquor. Clare Desrosiers, project for the ASAP coalition, said the product contains alcohol and should not be sold to minors. "To me, it is sold in what looks like a liquor bottle," she said.

The drink was handed in by the principal of Houlton High School Martin Bouchard after he read there could be alcohol in the soda.

He said the contacted the police because he was not sure about the law regarding the sale of such a beverage.

"The student saw the label as he was drinking it and realised that there was some alcohol in it," he said. "The student did not want to get in trouble and brought it to a teacher.

"Less than half of the bottle was gone. There was no intent on the student's part to break any school rules or laws. This was just a harmless incident." Mr Robson is the great grandson of Thomas Fentiman who founded the firm in Gateshead in 1905 when he was given a recipe for ginger beer in exchange for an unpaid loan.

He added: "Our drinks do not look alcoholic, just quite distinctive and traditional, so the whole 'imitation liquor' argument seems patently ridiculous."

The online publicity has fuelled interest in the soft drink with enquiries flooding in from people from more than 30 states and from Canada asking where they can buy it.

"I am pleased to see that the public in the States has been vociferous in their online comments, pointing out that everyday items like mouthwash, orange juice and even chewing gum contain trace alcohol," said Mr Robson.

"As one commentator suggested, it would mean drinking literally gallons of any of our drinks to gain the same effect as half a pint of beer."

CAPTION(S):

WHAT'S IN THE BOTTLE? The Victorian Lemonade label. OLD RECIPE Eldon Robson, managing director of Fentimans, which has sparked controversy in America.