The new Dragon Soop E.S.Q. - which stands for Extra Special Quality - will be bottled in 70cl glass containers and will come in Wild Dark Fruits and Tangerine Dream flavours. The company stated that NIADA could not claim to have knowledge of what ‘most young people’ did, as its day-to-day work and research was conducted with a very specific group of young people, all of whom had serious alcohol or substance abuse issues. The company explained that this research group could not in any way be seen to be representative of the population as a whole. The company argued that any extrapolations about the behaviour and attitudes of the wider population based on research carried out solely with this group would be skewed, misleading and far from impartial. 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 stated that NIADA had made a number of unreliable observations, incorrect contentions and factual mistakes that the company wished to comment on. 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.

A repeat drink-driver pulled over an hour after downing a can of Dragon Soop has been banned from the road for three years. Fortified with schnapps, it comes in flavours including fruit punch, sour apple, blue raspberry, sherbet, cola, and ­strawberry and lime. 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.The company then explained that Dragon Soop Venom had similar dominant flavour notes to its on-trade namesake which included orange, other fruit hints and a touch of the rich, round caramel associated with Bourbon.

The company stated that it recognised that while each element of the marketing and design of Dragon Soop was important, the overall impression was the most important element to avoid direct or indirect particular appeal to under-18s. Commenting on the decision, the Chair of the Independent Complaints Panel, Nicola Williams, said: “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. Alcohol can cause abnormal heart rhythms in the body, high blood pressure and can damage the heart muscle and cause other diseases such as strokes, liver problems and some cancers. Alcohol is also high in calories and can lead to weight gain and health-related issues in that sense (British Heart Foundation). Caffeine in large amounts can also have effects on the body and health, such as increased breathing and heart rate as well as increased mental activity and physical energy. The body can also become dependent on caffeine physically and psychologically and then feel withdrawal symptoms from it (Better Health Channel). Hence, excess levels of both can have adverse effects on health, especially young people. 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. Concerns have been raised over Dragon Soop – a potent mix of alcohol and caffeine being downed by Scots teens – which can create “wired, wide-awake drunks”.READ MORE: How long alcohol takes to leave your body as experts warn against Christmas drink driving

A complaint against the alcoholic drink flavour Venom has been upheld for meaning 'poison' to UK customers, and for its appeal to bravado required to drink it. A factual statement that a product contains a particular ingredient, for example high caffeine content, is unlikely in itself to be problematic under the Code.” Heavy - Active for much of the day, walking non-stop and carrying objects. Typical jobs: hospital/ward nurse, waitressing in a busy restaurant, cleaner, porter, labourer/construction worker, gardener, farm worker. Leisure Activity LevelThe Panel considered the name Venom would be recognised by the majority of UK consumers to mean ‘poison’ in its day-to-day usage and noted this in the context of a beverage which had a relatively high alcohol and caffeine content. 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.”