Underage drinking trend sees teens getting their fix from 'non-potable' COOKING WINE - because you don't need ID to buy it

• A 12-ounce bottle of cooking wine contains almost one-and-a-half times the recommended daily allowance of sodium
• It has an alcohol content of around 17per cent, which is the same as a bottle of Cabernet

By Margot Peppers

Published: 11:21 EST, 5 December 2013 | Updated: 12:07 EST, 5 December 2013

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Cooking wine isn't meant for consumption, but more and more teens are buying bottles of it to get drunk.

According to CBS Philly, underage drinkers are increasingly turning to cooking wine for their alcohol fix because it isn't regulated by the liquor patrol board, meaning it can be purchased at grocery stores without an ID.

Not only is this trend perpetuating underage drinking, but cooking wine is also very high in sodium, which can contribute to health problems like high blood pressure and kidney disease.

Legal buzz: More and more underage drinkers are turning to cooking wine for their alcohol fix because it isn't regulated by the liquor patrol board, meaning it can be purchased at grocery stores without an ID

The sale of cooking wine isn't regulated because it is considered non-potable due to its large sodium content.

Indeed, according to Emily Rubin, a dietician at Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, a 12-ounce bottle contains almost one-and-a-half times the recommended daily allowance of sodium.

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But while the salty drink may not taste great, it can certainly get you drunk; most bottles have an alcohol content of around 17per cent, the same as a bottle of Cabernet.

In terms of how drunk it gets you, drinking a whole bottle of cooking wine is equivalent to drinking three or four beers, says Ms Rubin.

High salt content: Not only is this trend perpetuating underage drinking, but cooking wine is also very high in sodium, which can contribute to health problems like high blood pressure and kidney disease

What's more, the high level of sodium is likely to cause dehydration in the drinkers, which often leads to a bad hangover, according to Chemistry.com.

Teens aren't the only demographic using cooking wine to get drunk.

According to ForwardLookout.com, homeless and low-income people buy it, too, because it's inexpensive and is considered a food at the grocery store.

This means that unlike other forms of alcohol, you can purchase cooking wine with food stamps

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