People abusing baking extract to get drunk has been reported in the area. Some have even resorted to putting up signs, limiting the number of bottles of extract a person can purchase with food stamps at a time.
Jennifer Holcomb, a mother of two, said she thinks it's crazy, but isn't surprised.
"I work in a hospital and I see abuse of so many random things," said Holcomb.
Jeff Joseph, manager of the Bigley Foodland on Spring Street in Charleston, said he hasn't seen the abuse in his store, but also isn't surprised. He said the baking extract is a product that can be bought with food stamps.
"People realize there is alcohol in the vanilla extract and I guess they're going to do what they have to do to get it," said Joseph.
The contents of a standard bottle of extract contain about 41 percent alcohol, which is more than a shot of hard liquor.
"If we thought it was being abused we'd question it and maybe even stop the sale," said Joseph.
Most of the customers we spoke with said they agreed it was wrong to use food stamps to abuse alcohol, but added they didn't think much could be done.
"I don't see what they could do about it they use it the correct way or they don't ... I don't see how they can police it," said Ryan Abshire of Charleston.
It is against the law to use food stamps to purchase alcohol or tobacco products, that's according to the West Virginia Bureau for Children and Families website.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2012 WorldNow and WOWK. All Rights Reserved.
