Don’t lick and drive: Police warning over alcoholic lollies

The summer’s well and truly here. We’ve had a few hot days and everybody is already complaining that it’s too hot… you have to love the British summer!

On particularly stuffy days, a lot of adults here in the UK are enjoying an alcoholic lolly. If you haven’t seen one before, they’re essentially regular ice lollies, but come in prosecco, peach Bellini and gin and tonic flavours.

The problem with them is that they’re not just alcohol flavoured, they do contain alcohol. Some have an alcohol content of 4.5%, which is as high as certain strong beers.

Police in the UK are now urging drivers to be careful when they enjoy an alcoholic ice lolly, and to not lick and drive.

The wrong way to cool down
Due to how refreshing these lollies can be on a hot day, and how quickly they can be eaten, police are worried that many drivers would simply ‘lose count’ of how many they’ve had.

As acting Inspector Harry Simpson of Cleveland and Durham Operations Unit explains, these lollies must be treated as though they are regular drinks.

He said: “These lollies are becoming really popular and it’s easy to forget that they contain alcohol and aren’t just flavouring.

“On a hot summer’s day it’s easy to lose count of how many you have, and then get behind the wheel of a car.

“If you wouldn’t consider drinking a gin and tonic or cocktail when driving, then you shouldn’t consider having one of these lollies.”

So, enjoy a lolly (we guess this means it’s completely OK for adults to eat ice lollies in public now), but remember to stay safe. You’d never drink and drive, so don’t lick and drive either. It’s a sure-fire way to ruin what could be a great summer.

Just how well do you know the rules of the road? Play our Road Rule-ette quiz to find out. If you do well, treat yourself to a (non-alcoholic) lolly.