Report: FDA to ban caffeinated alcoholic drinks

[News_Editor]

Report: FDA to ban caffeinated alcoholic drinks

2010-11-17 04:35:09 GMT+7 (ICT)

WASHINGTON D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- U.S. Senator Charles Schumer on Tuesday announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will ban caffeinated alcoholic drinks after ruling that caffeine is an unsafe food additive to alcoholic beverages.

The rule will effectively make products such as Four Loko, Joose, and other similar products, prohibited for sale in the United States. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) plans to notify manufacturers that they are engaged in the potential illegal marketing of unsafe alcoholic drinks.

The FDA declined to comment or confirm the report.

Senator Schumer has pressured for months to have the drinks banned due to serious risks to consumer health and safety. According to the Senator, the ruling will serve as a warning to any company that attempt to sell dangerous and toxic drinks to the American people, in particular children.

"This ruling should be the nail in the coffin of these dangerous and toxic drinks. Parents should be able to rest a little easier knowing that soon their children won’t have access to this deadly brew." the U.S. Senator added.

In response to Schumer's call to ban the drinks in New York, the State Liquor Authority agreed to stop selling the dangerous drinks in the state this past week. In addition, Oklahoma, Utah, Michigan and Washington also banned the drinks as well as a number of colleges.

According to studies, popular drinks Four Loko and Joose contain as much as 2 to 3 coffee cups worth of caffeine and 2 to 3 cans of beer per container. This is a potent, dangerous mix that can be extremely harmful for teenagers and adults alike.

Last month, nine students passed out and were hospitalized after drinking Four Loko, leading states and universities across the country to issue ban, limit, or issue warnings about the drink. Four Loko products target young people as it is marketed with colored cans with funky designs.

A recent study found that young and underage people who combine alcohol with caffeine are more likely to suffer injury, be the victim of sexual assault, drive while intoxicated, and require medical attention than other drinkers who consume caffeine-free beverages.

In 2008, Anheuser-Busch InBev NV and MillerCoors LLC reformulated caffeinated alcoholic beverages under pressure from several states and regulatory bodies, but smaller companies like the manufacturers of Four Loko and Joose have not reformulated its brews.

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