Ottawa considers crackdown on sweet, high-alcohol drinks

Health Canada wants to reduce the alcohol content and product size of such sweetened drinks as FCKD UP and Four Loko.

Federal Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor is launching consultations aimed at amending federal food and drug regulations to restrict the content of sweetened beverages whose alcohol content is between seven per cent and 12 per cent. It’s seeking feedback from the industry and all interested parties by May 3.

The drinks are extremely popular with young people and that’s why Petitpas Taylor wants to act, a spokesperson for the minister said.

Health Canada will also convene a meeting with provincial and territorial governments in the coming weeks to discuss issues like advertising, marketing and labelling to reduce the risks caused by the products.

The regulatory review by Ottawa comes more than two weeks after the death in Laval of 14-year-old Athena Gervais. Her body was found in a stream behind her high school several days after she disappeared. The girl had reportedly consumed some cans of FCKD UP. The drink was marketed in a 568 ml container and has an alcohol content of 11.9 per cent. It sells for less than $4 a container.

The Quebec government announced last week it would ban the sale of drinks similar to FCKD UP in dépanneurs and leave it to government-run liquor stores to decide if they want to stock the product.