Booze in shoes
Categories: Teens & Tweens, Safety, Playground Bureau, Weird But True
A recent story in the New York Times about prom night drinking was full of bad news for parents. Not only are kids sneaking in hallucinogens purchased off the internet and prescription drugs taken from grandparents' medicine cabinets, there was also this shocking piece of information: there is a product available that makes smuggling alcohol ANYWHERE as easy as putting one foot in front of the other.
Reef Dram sandals, that are available in stores and online, feature a hidden flask that according to the product description, allows the wearer to "smuggle your moonshine into any sporting event, concert, or boring lecture." Or in the case of teenagers, to the prom. Or the beach. To the movies. Or when bored and just driving around.
It's challenging enough as parents to keep up with the list of current substances being abused (We still have to ask a store clerk to get us the whip cream in aerosol cans because apparently that is being huffed) but to have a company producing a product whose sole purpose is to make it possible for people to secretly do shots whenever they feel like it, should be a crime.
But forewarned is forearmed: keep an eye on the footwear both on your child's feet and in their closet.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jamie 6-04-2008 @ 4:48PM
Read the reviews. I agree this is not a good idea, but at least they do not hold much (1.5 ounces each sandal). It makes me laugh to think that someone would spend that much money to smuggle in 3 ounces of liquor. It is tough to be in the under 21 crowd these days eh? I don't miss those years...
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Kellie 6-04-2008 @ 8:59PM
Honestly, at that age, my parents were so involved in my life that I had no idea where I could even procure alcohol to put in sandals if I wanted too.
This def. sucks, but it's also not even enough to get a buzz. Unless every kid brings a pair and they all add it together. I wouldn't put it past 'em because if I could have, i probably would have tried to do it also. If I wasn't so scared that I was going to get grounded forever.
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mai 6-06-2008 @ 7:22AM
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3FC 6-04-2008 @ 10:41PM
I think the "It should be a crime" statement is a bit of an overreaction... I mean who is responsible for the kids? There are alot worse products out there and I wouldn't blame this company for making what basically amounts to a novelty item.
If kids want to drink they will, when I was younger I probably would have thought this was a cool idea, but it would have been much easier to swipe a small pint of alcohol and hide it in my purse (or jacket) than to bother with this!
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Yvie 6-04-2008 @ 11:34PM
They'd do anything to sell their products even if it means teens purchasing it to hide alcohols and whatnot.
If you will subtract 10 years from my age, I still wouldn't go for this sandal thing. I think it's a waste of time to keep a small item in this sandal. I mean, I admit that I'm not a goody-two shoes when I was 16. I did have a few drink or two. We don't need some kind of stuff like that---unless it may have been some kind of fad to teens these days. If you got Reef Dram, you're cool.
I have no idea.
One thing's for sure, I'm glad that I don't go with what everyone thinks is cool.
-Yvie
http://tangerineslullaby.eachday.com
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Jill 6-05-2008 @ 8:17AM
Seems like, instead of inspecting your child's shoes, you simply start discussing the uses and abuses of alcohol when your child is younger. You let them taste it as a child, you let them drink a bit as a teen. You give them permission to not lie to you. .
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Jessica 6-05-2008 @ 12:18PM
I don't think Reef is to blame, they're not marketing to the underage crowd. I own a pair of Reefs, and bought some for other family members, that have bottle openers in the sole. I think they rock!
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caron 6-06-2008 @ 10:40PM
Who has the time to think this stuff up? Seriously...a hidden pocket for alcohol in shoes?
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Lauren 6-10-2008 @ 3:58PM
Sorry to break it to you, but shoes like these have been around for quite some time. Six years ago, I was 16 and went to a rave. A woman in extremely high heels (which, at raves, any style goes) offered me free acid tabs out of the heel of her shoe. I'll be honest, I had done ecstacy at that time so not only did I not want to mix---I was and will always be scared of acid and what it could do. I havn't done drugs in years, and quit drinking before I could even buy alcohol legally, hahaha. But someone still relatively close to their past teenage years in comparison to some moms that are starting to lose grasp on how they were when they were kids...It's how you raise your children, giving them the best advice as you possibly can and offering your ears and time WHENEVER they need it. It's hard to balance being a "cool" mom who listens but can also lay down the law when it comes time to...but just do one thing...always have time to listen to your child. And please, don't think that your child has those shoes---I have never known anyone other then the tranny looking raver in latex high heels trying to give me acid that has owned shoes like that.
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