www.alkoholpolitik.ch

Senators Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MI), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) have joined forces in a recent letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) calling on the agency to “immediately make public its findings from an investigation into possible health risks posed by so-called ‘energy drinks’ that combine alcohol and caffeine.” (Source: Marin Institute, 8/04/10)

Newsletter online with important information from Europe and the European Union.

Certain brands of alcoholic energy drinks are marketed with the intent of appealing to underage drinkers, charged Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) in calling for an investigation by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
The Associated Press reported July 11 that Schumer singled out Joose and Four Loko brand energy drinks, which he said are packaged in colorful cans to resemble nonalcoholic energy drinks and fail to prominently disclose their alcohol content — which can be up to 12 percent by volume. …(Source: Join Together, 7/13/10)

… and oppose AB1598.mov. (Source: Marin Institute, 6/30/10) See video

Among 401 NCAA athletes at a major Division-I university, more than one-third reported mixing alcohol and energy drinks in the previous year, according to a study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine’s 57th Annual Meeting in Baltimore. (Source: Medical News Today, 6/7/10)

A new energy drink called “Four Loko” has a 12-percent alcohol content and is loaded with caffeine and sugar, WABC-TV reported May 28. Twice the size of a regular can of soda, the 24-ounce energy drink sells for under $3 — cheaper than a beer — which officials in New York say makes it appealing to kids.
Four White Plains teenagers recently were hospitalized after drinking Four Loko, prompting warnings from White Plains Public Safety Commissioner David Chong. “The kids have a nickname for it, they’re basically calling it coke in a can,” he said. (Source: Join Together, 6/1/10) See Video

Lobbyists don’t need to hide behind curtains—we’ve seen how their machinations can kill bills in broad daylight–but the industry reps who testified in Washington State recently against a bill to ban alcoholic energy drinks such as JOOSE, Liquid Charge, and Four Loko can only called the Wizards of Odd for the statements they made in defense of their companies’ dangerous products. (Source: Marin Institute, 3/9/10)

A Prohibition-era law still on the books makes Nebraska the only U.S. state to ban bars from serving drinks that mix beer and liquor, and some lawmakers are trying to make the restriction history. (Source: Join Together, 2/19/10 )

A sweet, caffeinated, high-alcohol wine has become a symbol of the growing drinking problems in Scottish society, the New York Times reported Feb. 4. Buckfast Tonic Wine goes by a number of popular names that reflect its reputation, including “Wreck the Hoose (House) Juice,” and Scotland’s former industrial heartland is sometimes referred to as the “Buckfast Belt.” One study found that 43 percent of youth offenders drank Buckfast before committing their crimes, and in one district alone the wine was mentioned in more than 5,600 crime reports over a three-year period. Buckfast is not a new product, but contains a potent mix of 15 percent alcohol and as much caffeine per bottle as eight cans of Coca-Cola. It’s particularly popular among groups of young male hooligans, Scots say. (Source: Join Together, 2/12/10)

Energy drinks, favored among young people for the beverages’ caffeine jolt, also play a lead role in several popular alcoholic drinks, such as Red Bull and vodka. But combining alcohol and energy drinks may create a dangerous mix, according to University of Florida research. In a study of college-aged adults exiting bars, patrons who consumed energy drinks mixed with alcohol had a threefold increased risk of leaving a bar highly intoxicated and were four times more likely to intend to drive after drinking than bar patrons who drank alcohol only. (Source: Medical News Today, 2/11/10)