Body’s Own Cannabinoids May Help Control Trauma-Linked Fear
Summary: A new study reveals that a natural cannabinoid in the body, 2-AG, plays a crucial role in regulating fear responses, particularly in individuals with PTSD and anxiety. Researchers found that lower levels of 2-AG in both mice and humans were linked to exaggerated or overgeneralized fear reactions to non-threatening stimuli.
This suggests that 2-AG helps the brain distinguish real threats from harmless cues, acting as a natural filter for fear. By targeting this endocannabinoid system, scientists believe it may be possible to develop new, more effective treatments for anxiety-related disorders.
Key Facts:
- Fear Filter: The endocannabinoid 2-AG helps suppress excessive or generalized fear responses.
- Cross-Species Link: Lower 2-AG levels were associated with heightened fear in both mice and humans.
- Therapeutic Target: 2-AG may be a promising target for new anxiety and PTSD treatments.
Source: Northwestern University
Specific cannabinoids produced by the human body may help to quell excessive fear responses in people with post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety, according to a Northwestern Medicine-led study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety often experience inappropriate fear responses to stimuli that may or may not be similar to those experienced during their original trauma, said Luis Rosas-Vidal, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and first author of the study.
“The endocannabinoid system – which engages the same receptors as marijuana – in your body regulates neurotransmitters release,” Rosas-Vidal said.
“Specifically, the one we’re interested in, 2-AG, have been implicated in regulating fear responses and anxiety responses.”
However, if and exactly how the cannabinoid 2-AG (2-arachidonoylglycerol) functions at the neuronal level to filter fear responses when exposed to new stimuli has previously been unclear, Rosas-Vidal said.
In the study, scientists examined fear responses in mice that had depleted levels of 2-AG. They found that mice with 2-AG inhibition displayed increased fear responses.
By using fiber photometry approaches, investigators found that higher fear generalization was associated with lower endocannabinoid activity in the brain.
“We found that blocking the endocannabinoid 2-AG basically leads to over-generalization of their fear responses,” said Rosas-Vidal, who is also a member of the Stephen M. Stahl Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience.
The senior author of the study was Sachin Patel, MD, PhD, the chair and Lizzie Gilman Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.
In collaboration with investigators at University of Calgary and Linköping University, the investigators observed how 2-AG levels in blood relate to fear generalization in human research participants. Similarly, they found that lower 2-AG levels were associated with higher fear generalization.
Together, the findings highlight the key role endocannabinoids play in regulating fear responses, Rosas-Vidal said, and identify 2-AG as a potential target for anxiety therapies.
“We think that our findings are really exciting,” he said. “They show both at the mechanistic and behavioral level how 2-AG is regulating fear responses.”
Moving forward, Rosas-Vidal and his collaborators will continue to study cannabinoid signaling in different neuron subtypes and the mechanisms mediating generalization, he said.
“We believe these sorts of studies are very vital in psychiatry to give us understanding of how psychiatric disorders arise and also point to potential treatments in the future,” he said.
Funding: The study was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health grants K08MH126166 and R01MH107435. Additional funding was provided by the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation’s Young Investigator Grant 29255.
About this neuroscience and PTSD research news
Author: Olivia Dimmer
Source: Northwestern University
Contact: Olivia Dimmer – Northwestern University
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
“Prefrontal correlates of fear generalization during endocannabinoid depletion” by Luis Rosas-Vidal et al. JCI
Abstract
Prefrontal correlates of fear generalization during endocannabinoid depletion
Maladaptive fear generalization is one of the hallmarks of trauma-related disorders. The endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) is crucial for modulating anxiety, fear, and stress adaptation but its role in balancing fear discrimination versus generalization is not known.
To address this, we used a combination of plasma endocannabinoid measurement and neuroimaging from a childhood maltreatment-exposed and non-exposed mixed population combined with human and rodent fear conditioning models.
Here we show that 2-AG levels are inversely associated with fear generalization at the behavioral level in both mice and humans.
In mice, 2-AG depletion increases the proportion of neurons, and the similarity between neuronal representations, of threat-predictive and neutral stimuli within prelimbic prefrontal cortex neuronal ensembles. In humans, increased dorsolateral prefrontal cortical-amygdala resting state connectivity is inversely correlated with fear generalization.
These data provide convergent cross-species evidence that 2-AG is a key regulator of fear generalization and further support the notion that 2-AG deficiency could represent a trauma-related disorder susceptibility endophenotype.
Lilo & Stitch First Reviews: A Faithful Remake with Lots of Heart and Some Fresh New Touches
The latest in Disney’s efforts to remake their animated classics, Lilo & Stitch adapts the 2002 film of the same name to varying levels of success. According to the first reviews of this live-action reimagining, the Stitch character remains a delightful favorite, while it often seems like an unnecessary cash-grab catering to nostalgia for the original. Setting the story in the real world makes it more grounded, though, and therefore more emotionally effective.
Here’s what critics are saying about Lilo & Stitch:
Is this one of the best family films of the year?
Lilo & Stitch is one of the year’s biggest surprises… the family event of the summer.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
The new take on the classic Disney movie is the kind of summer adventure kids and adults will be happy to sink their teeth into.
— Mary Kassel, Screen Rant
How does it compare to the other Disney remakes?
The script’s emphasis on empathy, emotional depth, and the importance of Ohana elevate the film into the upper tier of Disney’s live-action remakes.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
One of the best remakes in the company’s contemporary canon.
— Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
Lilo & Stitch is one of the stronger results of Disney’s non-stop remake campaign.
— Eric Goldman, IGN Movies
Only some disjointed plotting and an occasionally clunky third act keep it from being the best Disney live-action adaptation yet.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
This one? Surprisingly less cynical than most.
— Jon Negroni, InBetweenDrafts
As messy as Snow White was, it at least had a vision unique from its source material.
— Tyler Taing, Discussing Film
does this one do the original justice?
The 2025 Lilo & Stitch… does what matters most: It stays true to the spirit of the original 2002 movie.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
Lilo & Stitch feels like a real movie made by real humans who, get this, actually like the original.
— Jon Negroni, InBetweenDrafts
The live-action Lilo & Stitch is faithful enough to the original to please traditionalists and tweaked enough to feel somewhat fresh.
— Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter
It reminded me why I’ve loved the 2002 modern classic since I was a kid, and through many phases of my life, and also offered a new perspective to the story I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise if it hadn’t been made.
— Sarah El-Mahmoud, CinemaBlend
The animated film’s frenetic energy is intact, with just enough fresh touches to stand on its own. It beautifully captures the spirit of Ohana.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
The remake adopts the frenetic, energized pacing typically found in animation, but here, that’s achieved via rapid, unintelligible editing.
— Cody Dericks, Next Best Picture
No matter how well-intentioned it may be, the original animated film’s charm and personality are ultimately lost.
— Tyler Taing, Discussing Film
Does it just rehash the original?
Once the film moves past its opening sequence, it becomes clear that the source material has been given a new spark… It’s got its own sense of identity.
— Justin Clark, Slant Magazine
It doesn’t try to replace the original, it tries to complement it.
— Jon Negroni, InBetweenDrafts
It’s practically a carbon copy of the delightful animated original, but with most of the charm and beauty missing.
— Cody Dericks, Next Best Picture
Does remaking it in live action add anything to the story?
Nani and Stitch’s relationship is very much grounded in reality.
— Justin Clark, Slant Magazine
As adorable as the animated Lilo was, there remains a real spark to seeing two relatable actors connect with each other on screen.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
The live-action version shifts its emotional center way more toward Nani this time around, transforming her from an overworked side character to co-lead in what often feels like a Hawaiian-flavored Lady Bird.
— Jon Negroni, InBetweenDrafts
There is a benefit to seeing this story play out in live action because seeing the unmistakable youth in Nani’s face really hammers home that she’s practically a child herself.
— BJ Colangelo, Slashfilm
Lilo & Stitch invests heavily in its live-action settings and storytelling, allowing us to see ourselves in the narrative.
— Mary Kassel, Screen Rant
Filming this story in our real world organically raises the stakes on the human storyline. This has the unfortunate side effect of making Stitch’s rascally antics less adorable and more frustrating.
— Cody Dericks, Next Best Picture
Are there any favorable changes?
One of the most pleasant changes comes with the inclusion of characters invented for Tia Carrere and Amy Hill… Both women add a refreshing sense of community that was lacking in the original film, and feed into the strongest aspect of this new story.
— BJ Colangelo, Slashfilm
Lilo & Stitch tightens the story and sharpens its focus, getting rid of some of the glaring structural issues with the first film.
— Mary Kassel, Screen Rant
New sequences are prone to misinterpretation as extra padding, but actually serve a good purpose deepening the character dynamics (like Mrs. Kekoa giving Nani 3 to-dos) and wild comedic absurdity (like Stitch smashing champagne flutes) or propelling the action (like Jumba’s never-ending portal).
— Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction
How does it look?
The VFX is surprisingly strong. Compared to recent Disney live-action adaptations, Lili & Stitch is easily one of the best-looking of the bunch.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
Compared to the blank faces of the lions in Jon Favreau’s The Lion King, the CGI Stitch is a massive improvement.
— Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
Stitch doesn’t exactly look bad, but there’s a plasticky sheen to him that makes him feel more like an Etsy plushie than a living, breathing character.
— Jon Negroni, InBetweenDrafts
The visual effects only add to the disorder. Though they’re as good as it gets for Disney, it’s hard to believe that our human characters are actually interacting with a goo-goo eyed blur of blue fur.
— Lyvie Scott, Inverse
The overall look of the movie just doesn’t capture the beauty and scale of the original in a way that feels satisfying or helps it stand out.
— Aidan Kelley, Collider
As has come to be depressingly expected from the blockbusters of today, the color palette is muted and dull, captured with an uncreative camera that’s more concerned with merely putting things in the frame rather than constructing visually striking moments.
— Cody Dericks, Next Best Picture
Is it as moving as the original?
This version of Nani and Lilo’s relationship is far closer to reality, which makes the heartstring-pulling snap back with even more intensity.
— BJ Colangelo, Slashfilm
The force of that beating heart is even stronger here.
— Justin Clark, Slant Magazine
The result is a more emotionally satisfying conclusion than its animated predecessor.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
Yeah, it made me cry… taking the emotional core of the original and amplifying it in a stirring manner.
— Eric Goldman, IGN Movies
This time, that same story is more constructed than meaningfully felt. The film struggles to let scenes breathe, bludgeons us too frequently with music cues, and skips out on crucial emotional beats to replace them with less effective melodrama.
— Brandon Yu, The New York Times
Does it have a good message for the kids?
The film does moving and spirited work in showcasing how crucial it is for us to lift each other up, even when it feels like a cage is all we deserve.
— Justin Clark, Slant Magazine
The new Lilo & Stitch’s best changes only highlight the central message of “Ohana” throughout, and that makes it worth the ride.
— Sarah El-Mahmoud, CinemaBlend
Will grown-ups enjoy it too?
There’s no denying that the film tries to cater to both children and adults, which occasionally results in tonal inconsistencies.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
For adults, a little of the visual chaos will go a long way, with Lilo, cute as he is, not exactly E.T. in terms of appeal.
— Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter
Is it funny?
The jokes land more than they don’t.
— Jon Negroni, InBetweenDrafts
Where the humor with Lilo and Stitch almost always works, the wacky hijinks with Jumba and Pleakley are more hit and miss.
— Eric Goldman, IGN Movies
There’s plenty of madcap comedy here, and more of it hits than misses.
— Justin Clark, Slant Magazine
How are the live-action performances?
Thankfully, the actors portraying the sisters work well as a pair… Maia Kealoha is an adorable Lilo.
— Cody Dericks, Next Best Picture
Kealoha, in particular, delivers a star-making performance, one of those rare turns where you just know, and with Kealoha, you know.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
It’s the adorable Kealoha who steals the show as Lilo. It can’t be easy to have chemistry with an alien who will be added in post-production. However, Kealoha is enchanting.
— Mary Kassel, Screen Rant
Disney proves once again why they are the gold standard in finding children who will grow up to be superstars with Maia Kealoha. This little girl is giving her absolute all in this movie… Her energy is infectious.
— BJ Colangelo, Slashfilm
Maia Kealoha… [is] an unfortunate case of miscasting, alas, since a character who should be nearly as frenetic as Stitch is embodied by a Little Miss Perfect type instead.
— Peter Debruge, Variety
Agudong brings the heat, the exhaustion, and the earnestness, and the film is (overall) stronger for it.
— Jon Negroni, InBetweenDrafts
Zach Galifianakis gives the film’s worst performance due to a supreme lack of effort. Alien form or not, Galifianakis offers nothing to his Jumba. This is especially disappointing as Jumba takes the main antagonist role in this remake away from an absent Gantu.
— Tyler Taing, Discussing Film
But ultimately, we’re all just here to enjoy Stitch, right?
People love that throaty-voiced, blue, koala-dog alien, and unlike the seven nightmarish dwarfs magical creatures, he translates perfectly into realistic CGI.
— BJ Colangelo, Slashfilm
Stitch translates surprisingly well to live-action.
— Aidan Kelley, Collider
Chris Sanders’s performance as Stitch is an utter delight. Channeling the same comedic and frenetic energy of the original, Sanders’ voice work serves as a vivid reminder as to why Stitch is one of Disney’s most beloved characters.
— David Gonzalez, The Cinematic Reel
Stitch gets less screentime than you might expect.
— Jon Negroni, InBetweenDrafts
Audiences might come out of this Lilo & Stitch feeling like the destructive alien has been a bit overshadowed by its human characters. There’s a few less gags for 626 to be part of in order to lean into the more realistic elements.
— Sarah El-Mahmoud, CinemaBlend
Lilo & Stitch opens in theaters on May 23, 2025.
On an Apple device? Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Apple News.
Colombia lost huge area to deforestation in 6 months, public watchdog report warns
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombia lost nearly 88,900 hectares (340 square miles) of forest — an area larger than New York City — in just six months, driven by the rapid spread of illegal roads, coca cultivation, and unregulated mining, according to a report by Colombia’s procurator’s office.
The independent watchdog warned of accelerating environmental destruction in some of the country’s most ecologically critical regions.
The report, released Monday, covers the period between October 2024 and March 2025 and focuses on seven high-risk areas including Caqueta, Guaviare, Putumayo, and Meta — southern departments that form part of the Amazon basin and are vital to Colombia’s biodiversity and freshwater systems.
Investigators documented more than 1,100 kilometers (680 miles) of illegal road construction, much of it cutting into national parks like Chiribiquete, Nukak, and Farallones de Cali. These roads often enable the transport of illegal goods and open new fronts for forest clearance.
“The construction of these routes would consolidate a terrestrial corridor that would significantly facilitate the development and consolidation of illicit economies and environmental damage in the region,” the report says.
While coca crops remain the primary driver of deforestation — particularly in Meta, Putumayo, and the Naya River region — the report also highlights illegal gold mining as a growing threat. In Buenaventura’s rural zone near the Naya River, investigators found heavy machinery operating near Indigenous reserves and inside protected areas, with roadwork connecting the region to trafficking routes toward the Pacific Ocean.
Caqueta experienced the greatest forest loss, with nearly 30,000 hectares (115 square miles) deforested, followed by Guaviare and Putumayo. Much of the damage occurred near Indigenous territories and vital ecological corridors crucial for wildlife. The report also highlighted land grabbing and speculative vegetation removal — done to claim land or boost its value without immediate use — as growing threats to the region.
Authorities are urged to investigate the legality of new roads and issue immediate closure orders where appropriate.
Last year, Colombia’s government reported that deforestation fell 36% in 2023 versus the previous year, marking the lowest level since records began. However, 2024 saw a 35% surge, fueled by an uptick in the Amazon region.
Colombia’s environment ministry had not responded to a request for comment on the report by the time of publication.
___
The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
The FDA is making it more difficult for Americans to get vaccinated for covid
The Trump administration is working to limit access to covid booster shots by creating more regulatory hoops for companies developing vaccines for “healthy persons.” The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says it’s only prioritizing covid vaccine approvals for adults older than 65 and others over the age of 6 months who have at least one “risk factor” for a severe case of covid-19.
“The FDA will approve vaccines for high-risk persons and, at the same time, demand robust, gold-standard data on persons at low risk,” FDA officials write in commentary laying out their plans in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).
The move comes as notorious antivax crusader Robert F. Kennedy reshapes the US Department of Health and Human Services, recently pushing out the FDA’s top vaccine official and thousands of other federal health workers. Some public health experts are already voicing skepticism over whether the FDA’s new guidance for covid boosters will reap any benefits.
“This is overly restrictive and will deny many people who want to be vaccinated a vaccine.”
“This is overly restrictive and will deny many people who want to be vaccinated a vaccine,” Anna Durbin, director of the Center for Immunization Research at Johns Hopkins University, said in an email to the New York Times.
“The only thing that can come of this will make vaccines less insurable and less available,” Paul Offit, a vaccine scientist, virologist, and professor of pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, told The Associated Press.
The FDA says it will require more data from additional clinical trials before approvals can be granted for covid-19 vaccines being developed for people not considered to be at heightened risk from severe sickness. It says 100 to 200 million Americans will still have annual access to covid vaccines after its policy change. That would be less than 60 percent of the US population.
Last week, the agency approved the Novavax covid-19 vaccine for only older adults and people at higher risk from the disease.
“We simply don’t know whether a healthy 52-year-old woman with a normal BMI who has had Covid-19 three times and has received six previous doses of a Covid-19 vaccine will benefit from the seventh dose,” the NEJM commentary says.
But previous CDC studies have shown that getting a booster can help prevent mild to moderate cases of covid up to six months after getting the shot regardless of whether a person is at higher risk or not, Offit tells The Associated Press. And even if someone does get sick, being vaccinated can make the illness shorter and less severe and reduce the risk of developing long covid, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The rate of covid-19-associated hospitalizations was 71.2 per 100,000 people during the 2024–25 season, according to the CDC — although hospitals haven’t been required to report covid-related hospital admissions to HHS since May of last year. Vaccines are an important safeguard for people with a weakened immune system. The FDA’s new directive raises questions about whether people considered healthy will be able to get vaccinated if they want to protect someone close to them who’s at greater risk.
In the NEJM article, the FDA notes that covid booster uptake has been low in the US, with less than a quarter of people getting the shot each year. “There may even be a ripple effect: public trust in vaccination in general has declined,” it says.
“It has become clear that truth and transparency are not desired by the Secretary, but rather he wishes subservient confirmation of his misinformation and lies,” Peter Marks, former director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) that regulates vaccines, wrote in a resignation letter in March.
“Lilo & Stitch” is aimed squarely at millennial parents and their kids
Disney’s latest beeline for your wallet, and your nostalgia, is a live-action remake of “Lilo & Stitch.” If that title doesn’t ring a bell, this movie is not for you at all. I’m astonished by how many of my millennial friends consider the 2002 original to be an essential staple of their childhood.
The character of Stitch is a fan favorite for them, and these are the people Disney is trying to reach. It’s smart counterprogramming to the behemoth that is “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning.”
I shouldn’t really be surprised by the Stitch love: I took my then-4-year old nephew to see the original “Lilo & Stitch,” and I’ve never seen a kid enjoy a movie more. His raggedy uncle, however, was praying the movie would fry in the projector; I hated, hated, hated this frenetic cartoon about an obnoxious little Hawaiian girl named Lilo and her equally destructive alien pal, Experiment 626, a.k.a. “Stitch.”
The remake keeps about 85 percent of the original plot, and a lot of its dialogue, so this recap will sound very familiar.
The creation of a mad scientist named Jumba (Zach Galifianakis), Stitch was designed for maximum carnage. He’s bulletproof, fireproof, smarter than a hundred supercomputers, and can learn and adapt to surroundings in the blink of an eye. Water is his only enemy, as his molecular structure will make him so heavy in water that he will drown.
Of course, when Stitch escapes from a tribunal where Jumba is being tried for creating him, he crash-lands on an island in Hawai’i, a state surrounded by water. He disguises himself as the world’s ugliest dog, and Lilo (Maia Kealoha) temporarily adopts him from the pound.
Lilo’s sister Nani (Sydney Agudong) has been taking care of her since their parents died in an automobile accident. Nani is trying to keep the family together, but she’s barely an adult. The social worker assigned to the case, Mrs. Kekoa (Tia Carrere, who voiced Nani in the 2002 original), is understanding, but warns Nani that Lilo may be put in foster care.
Meanwhile, an alien called the Grand Councilwoman (Hannah Waddingham) is quite ticked off that Stitch escaped. She has no choice but to free the jailed Jumba and send him to Earth to retrieve his product. The cruel and unfriendly Jumba is joined by an extroverted, one-eyed Earth specialist named Pleakley (Billy Magnussen). Pleakley’s job is to keep the hot-headed Jumba from creating an intergalactic incident.
Also in the mix is the awesomely named Cobra Bubbles (Courtney B. Vance), whose role here is slightly altered from the original’s incarnation, which was voiced by Ving Rhames. David (Kaipo Dudoit), the tongue-tied surfer dude who’s sweet on Nani, also makes the leap to this version. Jason Scott Lee, the original David, has a cameo here as well.
As for Stitch, fans will be happy to know that Chris Sanders is once again providing his voice. Sanders also co-directed and co-wrote the original film before going on to greatness with 2010’s “How to Train Your Dragon” and last year’s superb adaptation, “The Wild Robot.” “Dragon” is also getting the live-action treatment on June 13th, so I guess this is the summer of Sanders remakes.
I revisited the animated version of “Lilo & Stitch” right before my screening of this movie. I still hated the original, but I found this version a bit more tolerable. Both of the titular characters are more likable here, with Kealoha giving a good performance as Lilo.
Take that with a grain of salt; I may have been slightly softened up by the sight of Stitch driving his car through the screening room before the movie started. This was cuter than anything the movie had to offer. Given my disdain, I’m surprised he didn’t try to run me over.
There’s still time to hit me, Stitch! Because from a visual standpoint, this film is the ugliest entry in the live-action remake subgenre. The troublemaking alien Stitch and his fellow alien cronies look terrible in this incarnation. Stitch has always looked ugly and acted ratchet — I believe that’s why he’s so beloved — but a 2-D drawing can pull that off far better than CGI.
Director Dean Fleischer Camp (“Marcel the Shell with Shoes On”) must have known the visuals would be a problem, because Jumba and Pleakley take on human form while they’re on Earth. Galifianakis works better as himself, but Magnussen shines only when voicing his character.
The concept of “ohana,” or extended family, remains a central theme in the live-action “Lilo & Stitch.” According to Lilo, family means no one is left behind or forgotten. I’m not surprised that I had the same cynical reaction to this overly simplistic philosophy in both iterations of this film. However, this version’s final speech extoling the virtues of ohana moved me a little bit. Perhaps I’m becoming an old softie after all.
★★
LILO & STITCH
Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp. Written by Chris Kekaniokalani Bright, Mike Van Waes. Starring Maia Kealoha, Sydney Agudong, Tia Carrere, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Magnussen, Hannah Waddingham. Courtney B. Vance, Kaipo Dudoit. At AMC Boston Common, Landmark Kendall Square, Alamo Drafthouse Seaport, AMC Causeway, suburbs. 108 min. PG (mild violence)
Odie Henderson is the Boston Globe’s film critic.
Retailer Launches Wedding Gift Packages with Only ‘Useful Stuff’ Such as Toilet Paper
NEED TO KNOW
- One retailer is putting the practicality in wedding gift giving
- Tesco, the U.K.’s largest grocery chain, has launched a series of wedding gift bundles full of “really useful stuff”
- The packages, which range in price from about $52 to $96, feature items such as toilet paper, tea and trash bags
Forget crystal, chinaware and kitchen appliances — one retailer thinks it knows what brides and grooms really want for their wedding gifts.
Tesco, a British chain of stores selling groceries and general merchandise, has launched a range of wedding gift packages featuring some rather unconventional items, according to U.K. outlet The Herald. The packages, which are available on the wedding registry site Prezola.com, are all about practicality rather than luxury.
One £63 ($85) package, called “Tesco Really Useful Stuff,” contains five 12-roll packs of toilet paper, garbage bags, two tubes of toothpaste, paper towels, antibacterial handsoap and shower products. The £39 ($52) “I Love Brew” gift set features a six-month supply of two British everyday comfort staples: tea and biscuits.
For newlyweds wanting something a little more indulgent, Tesco offers the £72 ($96) “Dine-In Dates” bundle containing Tesco Finest ready-made meals and wine.
Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty
The retailer — which also operates stores in Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic — acknowledged in a statement that the wedding gift packages are far from “romantic,” but said the items address the “real needs of modern couples across the U.K.” as they navigate their first year of marriage and set up a home together.
“While toilet roll and teabags might not immediately seem like the most romantic option, it’s clear from our research that these are the products that could help to get married life off to a brilliant start,” Tesco said in a statement, per The Herald.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The chain said it had the idea for the gift packages after conducting a survey earlier this month of 2,000 newlywed or engaged couples. Nearly 90% of the participants agreed that the need for practical gifts is greater than it used to be, likely a sign of the challenging economy. Almost half of the respondents cited higher living costs.
Betsie Van Der Meer/Getty
According to the survey, only 8% of couples wanted fine china and just 10% wanted crockery or towels. About 18% of couples said they would choose to have their weekly grocery shop covered for a year.
Many poll participants also noted feeling stressed about the financial implications of their wedding, and said they would prefer to use wedding gifts to recoup costs and/or have a stockpile of everyday essentials to help lower their monthly household expenses.
“Our research has shown that it is the little things that matter most to couples, whether it is hearing about your partner’s day over a cuppa and a biscuit, sharing the chores or making time for a dine-in date night,” Tesco said, per The Herald.
PEOPLE has reached out to Tesco for comment.