Mum shamed for putting "alcohol-free" vodka in child's lunchbox
What's the difference between an alcohol-free bubbly drink and a soft drink? Although they sound the same, there is a world of a difference - as one NZ mum and gym director has discovered.
After putting cans of zero alcohol Pals (a vodka seltzer) in her kids' lunchboxes, the mum shared a photo to Instagram with the caption: "perfect addition to school lunches too."
While the drinks are free from alcohol the post caused a bit of a stir, especially on Twitter where a screenshot was shared.
"I'm already imagining young kids grabbing the wrong Pals from the fridge for an after school drink ... very irresponsible marketing. And not from Pals," one person wrote.
"Wow putting a non alcoholic drink in a school lunch! How irresponsible," another commented.
When the NZ Herald contacted the mum for comment she claimed that the post had been a "gag."
"Just like I have the personal rights to pop down to the booze shop and purchase a zero per cent Heineken and put it into my kids lunch boxes. For a gag," she explained.
"A lot of my content is appealing to the general population and our clients who can have a laugh, not those who have the capacity to spin something completely out of context and actually think I sent my kids to pre-school and school with a Pal in their lunch boxes."
Alcohol-free beverages are becoming quite popular amongst a wife group of people, from pregnant and breastfeeding mums to non-drinkers to people who just want to cut down on their consumption.
But there are still some misconceptions about them and how they differ from soft drink.
Irene Falcone is the founder of Australia's first physical alc-free bottle shop, Sans Drinks.
"Alc-free drinks are not soft drinks – they taste and smell just like alcohol," she says. "They have the same rules and regulations as alcohol."