Packets of chewing gum emblazoned with swear words have prompted moral outrage from PLP backbencher Dale Butler.

Mr. Butler has also signalled concern over a highly-caffeinated tonic wine that has been "wreaking havoc" in Scotland. He wants to see a ban on such products in Bermuda.

The former Minister of Culture and Social Rehabilitation complained to a Hamilton store after spotting novelty gum bearing the words "a**-kisser," "let's pretend I give a s**t" and "thanks for saving my a*s".

He told the House of Assembly he was "minding my own business, purchasing a sympathy card" last week when he noticed the items at the counter "at the eye level of a child".

Mr. Butler declined to name the store in question, although The Royal Gazette understands it is Brown and Co. in Reid Street.

He went back the following day with Independent MP Wayne Furbert and bought the gum.

Showing it to the rest of the MPs in the House on Friday during the motion to adjourn he asked: "What garbage is this?"

He went on to tell how the store attendant responded to his concerns by replying that the gum was proving popular and "I've had to restock it three times per day".

Mr. Butler said he contacted the store manager to complain, but the manager was not aware it had been on the shelves.

He noted that while Bermuda is used to complaining about retail issues such as the introduction of Sunday opening and condoms in drug stores this should cause additional concern.

"We don't need to have this being advertised to a child," he said. "We don't need this type of gum and this type of label in this Country.

"I have asked the vendor to look at this and remove it, no matter how much money it may make."

Brown and Co. store manager Nicole Warren declined to comment yesterday.

Mr. Butler also used his speech to highlight fears over a highly caffeinated fortified wine named Buckfast.

The beverage is sold throughout the UK but is particularly popular in Scotland, where it has provoked concern over antisocial behaviour.

He later told The Royal Gazette: "My main concern is that this type of drink is wreaking havoc in Scotland according to a New York Times report and I don't want to see it here."

Buckfast is based on a traditional recipe from the Benedictine monks at Buckfast Abbey in Devon, England.

It is popular among young drinkers in the UK due to its relatively high 15 percent ABV strength and relatively low price. Each 750 ml bottle contains the same amount of caffeine as eight cans of cola.

In November 2006, Jack McConnell, the then First Minister of Scotland, claimed the drink had become "a badge of pride among those who are involved in antisocial behaviour."

The drink is known by a variety of nicknames in Scotland including "Wreck the Hoose Juice" and "Commotion Lotion".

Mr. Butler said he hoped Bermuda would choose to follow the examples of Sweden, Norway, France and Denmark where caffeinated alcoholic beverages have either been limited or banned.

He told the House of Assembly that such drinks "deliberately develop a drug-dependant culture and community".

He signalled his support for a similar ban in Bermuda and revealed that the current Minister, Neletha Butterfield MP, has been briefed on the issue by permanent secretary Wayne Carey.

Mr. Butler has also given the Minister a report entitled: "Alcohol, energy drinks and youth: a dangerous mix" prepared by the Marin Institute alcohol industry watchdog.

The topic of alcoholic energy drinks hit the headlines in Bermuda in 2007 when a ferry driver crashed into a public dock after drinking Magnum, a 16.5 percent proof fortified wine that at the time was on sale in the non-alcohol section of grocery stores.

Soon after the case, the Minister of Health and Attorney General recategorised some drinks, including Zion, Baba Root and Magnum, as alcohol rather than energy drinks meaning they could no longer be sold without a licence.

Mr. Butler said that Buckfast is not yet on sale in Bermuda to the best of his knowledge.

The brief given to Minister Butterfield recommends that HM Customs and liquor importers set up an "early warning system" to identify the introduction of Buckfast and similar drinks something Mr. Butler supports.

According to UK media reports, the monks of Buckfast Abbey and their distribution partners have strenuously denied that their product is particularly harmful, saying it is responsibly and legally enjoyed by the great majority of purchasers.