An alcoholic "juice box" that looked like a kids' drink is being pulled from shelves of liquor stores around New Zealand.
Police have taken action after Newshub raised concerns about the packaging of Boxtails and said it is the first warning of its kind about marketing booze that appeals to under-18s.
Boxtails sells what looks like kids' juice boxes - but they are actually alcoholic cocktails.
The concern about the brand was brought to public attention on Newshub Talks: Booze, hosted by Patrick Gower, earlier this year.
Now, Newshub can reveal that police have been investigating the drink.
"Our concern is the small containers might be confused or mistaken by children to be a non-alcoholic drink," said Inspector Hamish Milne from Police Alcohol Harm Prevention.
The Australian company Basic Brands has also been selling Boxtails casks with cute emoji-like images.
Insp Milne said both Boxtail products are a risk for those under the legal drinking age of 18 years old.
"The emojis on these containers are things like fruit, pineapple, etc. A child looking at them might think it's a simple non-alcoholic juice."
Under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act, it is an offence if someone promotes or advertises alcohol in a way that is likely to have special appeal to minors.
So police called in marketing expert Karen Fernandez.
"The mai tai juice box just has a very cute picture of a pineapple on it. A parent might not even know, a chaperone might not even know that it is alcohol and not just juice," she said.
Insp Milne said it's likely this is the first warning of the marketing of alcohol packaging.
"I'm not aware of police seeking an expert opinion in relation to alcohol packaging before."
Police then took this opinion to Boxtails.
"I said that it was our view that they may be breaking the law," Insp Milne said.
And Boxtails agreed to pull the drinks.
"They have reached out to the people that they have supplied the product to and requested that they remove it from the shelves," Insp Milne said.
The Boxtails producer said they knew of no alcohol company that had become successful by advertising to minors.
"It is the most bizarre and laughable process that a law can be enforced based on nothing more than a couple of people's subjective opinions."
They also said the straw that made it look like a juice box was actually meant to stop people spiking the drinks with date rape drugs.
"We see the range as socially responsible, the first-ever liquor packaging to provide a part solution to a filthy problem."
But the alcohol-harm lobby applauded the move.
"I think this is great action from the police. I think these packages appeal to young people, young people experience serious harm so it's right that we put protections in place," said Dr Nicki Jackson, executive director of Alcohol Healthwatch.
But it seems the police message is not fully getting through. After the interview, Newshub found Boxtails on sale at two Auckland liquor stores.
"Our view would be that if a licensee has Boxtails on the shelves available for public consumption or public purchase, then that is likely to be breaking the law as well," Insp Milne said.
Police said continuing to sell Boxtails is an offence punishable with a fine of up to $10,000 and the suspension of a liquor licence for up to seven days.
