Dragon Soop Venom New Flavour - 500ml can (8 pack) 8%

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As a membership group that delivers alcohol and drug services daily to a large number of young clients, we feel the need to raise our concerns around this drink as It breaches numerous codes of conduct. Therefore, we are asking you to consider all points made above and take on board our recommendations to reduce both the alcohol and caffeine content and rethink the marketing strategies of this brand and particularly the impact it has on our young people and their health.” The company then examined the second paragraph under the heading entitled ‘strength’ which stated that “the high caffeine intake along with the high alcohol intake masks the effect of drunkenness”, which the company stated NIADA had not provided proof of. The company stated that the formulation did not break any of the Portman Group’s rules and that the Portman Group must agree with this because according to an SHS Drinks’ press statement, the Advisory Service had been consulted by the company prior to the launch of WKD X, which was a drink that closely mirrored Dragon Soop, and was destined for major grocery outlets in May 2022. Offshore Island deliveries will take longer than two days including Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Scottish Highlands and Islands and Scilly Isles. A spokesperson from the NIADA said the organisation was “delighted” with the result and “satisfied” with the response from the panel. The company then highlighted that in the interim, with the future of Dragon Soop in limbo, SHS Drinks had declared in the trade press that in May 2022 it was launching WKD X, which it said closely mirrored Dragon Soop with an almost identical offering. The company highlighted a quote from the article that stated that WKD X “was developed in conjunction with guidance from industry watchdog the Portman Group.” The company stated that it understood it was against Portman Group rules for SHS Drinks to suggest that the Portman Group had endorsed its brand in this way, even when a producer had consulted with the Portman Group’s Advisory Service prior to launch. The company stated that it understood that Portman Group Code rules prevented disclosure of advice given by the Advisory Service. However, given the comment printed in the article that the “onus on getting the responsibility right” had been noted by WKD, the company stated that it was hard to imagine that SHS Drinks would have gone ahead with launching WKD X in its current form if the Advisory Service had advised that it breached any aspect of the Code.

Firstly, the company highlighted that NIADA had stated that it wished to submit “a complaint about caffeinated alcoholic drinks”, but that the organisation had only singled out Dragon Soop from a group of other caffeinated alcoholic drinks. The company stated that the organisation had done this based on the unscientific basis that Dragon Soop is what NIADA called “the more popular drink of choice.” Moderately active - Do light to moderate intensity exercise 3-4 times a week. E.g. going to the gym / swimming / cycling / horse riding / dance classes / playing golf. Daily dog walking (brisk pace, twice a day). As an alliance, we have concerns around the drink ‘Dragon Soop’ and those similar. We at NIADA believe that this drink breaches numerous rules stated in the code of conduct including the Alcoholic content, Strength, Appeal to under 18s, Popularity, Anti-social behaviour and Sexual Success. Dragon Soop and other high caffeinated drinks such as ‘Screaming Devil’ and ‘Four Loko’ all raise our concerns as they have such high content of alcohol as well as caffeine and are heavily popularised and consumed by young people. Following a number of focus groups and consultations with young people we believe Dragon Soop to be the more popular drink of choice, so wish to move forward with an official complaint. The muted colour scheme, the font and the imagery were not considered to have a particular appeal to under 18s (3.2(h) – particular appeal to under-18s);

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Under the ‘Health effects concerns’ paragraph of the complaint, the company highlighted that NIADA had stated that “so many young people are consuming this drink usually in large quantities.” The company stated that this claim was based on shaky evidence of one small focus group made up of young, often under-age, substance and alcohol abusers. The company stated that there was no proof that Dragon Soop was consumed in greater excess than any other alcoholic drink. Additionally, the company stated that young people who did consume alcohol in great excess might reasonably be supposed to consume any popular alcoholic drink in large quantities.

The company noted the Panel’s rationale that Dragon Soop Venom was significantly different to the rest of the Dragon Soop range as it considered that Venom did not indicate its flavour and was marketed mainly on the danger and intimidation associated with venom, alongside the aggressive snake imagery. The company also noted the Panel’s point that Dragon Soop Venom had a clear association with poison, which implied that the drink was dangerous to consume and therefore required bravado to do so. NIADA is the alliance which facilitates co-operation among voluntary and community sector organisations supporting those affected by alcohol and drug use, and their families. We as a collective membership group wish to submit a complaint about caffeinated alcoholic drinks. With regard to the research submitted by NIADA in support of its complaint, the company noted from previous Panel rulings the stringent standards that the Panel required when research was accepted. The company stated that it was confident that the Panel would agree that NIADA’s research did not meet these standards. My diary is currently full until mid-August, I have festivals in the diary such as ButeFest 2022 and hopefully get to play both EH6 and Vibration Festivals for the second time. I also obviously have my ‘Subtle As Dynamite’ album launch tour in April and May so for now the main focus is on that. Then I’ll just see what the rest of the year brings. What do your career highlights look like so far? A complaint against Corinthian Brand’s Dragon Soop Venom was upheld by the alcohol industry’s Independent Complaints Panel (Panel). A copy of the full decision is available here.In conclusion for this section of the producer’s formal response, the company explained that NIADA had incorrectly stated that Dragon Soop ‘breaches numerous codes of conduct.’ The company stated that this was unfounded and noted that no evidence or detail was presented by NIADA to support this misleading statement. Throughout April and May this year you’re touring in support of your album, are there any places you particularly love performing? READ MORE: How long alcohol takes to leave your body as experts warn against Christmas drink driving

Whilst creativity and brands expressing their identities through their products is to be encouraged, care must be taken to avoid associating alcohol with bravado, or suggesting a consumer must be daring to drink it.. In this case, the name and imagery created an overall impression that was over the line of acceptability. For these reasons, it was a breach of the Code.” The company stated that NIADA seemed to make the general case that high strength alcohol in and of itself caused anti-social behaviour. However, the company stated that if this was true, a well-known vodka brand with a 37.5% ABV would be far more likely to cause excess drinking and anti-social behaviour than Dragon Soop at 7.5% ABV. That while the product’s alcoholic strength was clearly communicated there was no undue emphasis of the strength or intoxicating nature (3.2(a) – alcoholic strength); It may be necessary to inform consumers that a product contains certain ingredients, for example high caffeine content, but this must be done in a factual and ‘non emotive’ way.” The Panel considered that the product factually and neutrally explained the ingredients of the product and did not overemphasise the caffeine content or the effect that drinking caffeine and alcohol could have on consumers.The company stated that a company, whether it be a Code Signatory or member of the Portman Group, should be able to trust that a ‘final’ decision was final. The company explained that should the same product be subject to complaints of the same nature on more than one occasion, businesses would find it impossible to make medium to long-term planning and investment decisions.