By Edward Rajendra

KLANG, MALAYSIA: Father Christmas is all the rage here. Only, it's not the jolly old fellow in red, but a potent alcoholic brew that is wreaking havoc with the lives of teenagers.

To lure youngsters, samsu or distilled spirits with brand names like Avatar and Ben 10 (both cartoon characters), Young Gun and Father Christmas are being marketed here.

The drinks, costing between RM1.50(S$0.62) and RM3 for a 150ml bottle, are fast becoming a hit with teenagers.

Malaysia Consumer Advisory Association field officer V. Jeyakumar said the liquor was gaining popularity among teenagers because the cost was within their weekly allowance and it was easily available at sundry shops.

"Schoolchildren are easy targets. Getting hold of a samsu bottle is almost like going to the shop and buying some fizzy drink, as no question is asked," he said.

Jeyakumar said the association wanted the Selangor government to ban the sale of samsu because of its negative effects on teenagers.

He added the association was concerned because the drink, long associated with plantation workers, had evolved into a fashionable drink in urban areas.

Jeyakumar added the alcohol content in a 150ml bottle ranged from 18% to 51%.

He added that with such high alcohol levels, teenagers were at risk of illnesses such as blindness, cirrhosis of the liver, stomach cancer and kidney failure by their mid-20s.

He claimed there were close to 90 brands of samsu available, adding there was a shop near the Yayasan Selangor hostel where secondary school students in Klang sold the brew.

Last week, the Malaysian Crime Prevention Association had urged the Consumer Affairs and Domestic Trade Ministry to conduct strict enforcement on the sale of samsu as teenagers were drinking it.

Selangor state health, plantation workers, poverty and caring government committee chairman Dr A. Xavier Jayakumar agreed that samsu was a scourge but a blanket ban was not possible.

"We will get the local councils and health department to close down sundry shops and medical halls that sell samsu to teenagers," he said.

Jayakumar said the matter would be discussed at the state executive council meeting.