Soft drinks are blurring into hard drinks, which is confusing for consumers, and potentially dangerous for children.

See below for examples.

Display of packaged baked goods including cookies and craft beer in a grocery store aisle.

Beer was displayed next to Super Bowl cookies, muffins, and other family snack items at a Cub Foods store in Lakeville, MN. While the product was legally sold (4.0% alcohol), placing alcoholic beverages alongside foods commonly marketed for children and families can create confusion and normalize alcohol as an everyday grocery item.

A collection of various energy and soda cans, including Sparkling Ice Spiked hard seltzers, a Monster energy drink, Coca-Cola cans, Jack Daniel's cans, and Monster Beverage cans with monster logo.

Many alcohol products look very similar to non-alcohol products.

Shelf of Red Bull energy drinks and other canned beverages in a convenience store.
Display of Mountain Dew soda cases at a grocery store with prices marked.

Alcohol products can often be found right next to non-alcohol products in many states, as shown here, both in coolers and in aisles, featured next to each other.

LES Test here

Some big box stores are placing alcohol products, that look like non-alcohol products, on shelves in areas used to market toys to children.