Alcoholic Energy Drinks Promotes Underage Drinking, Schumer Says

new brands of trendy caffeinated alcoholic drinks now on the shelves in some markets are fooling many parents and police.
Alcoholic Energy Drinks Promotes Underage Drinking, Schumer Says
LOADED ENERGY DRINKS: Sen. Charles Schumer holds two brands of alcoholic, caffeinated beverages he says are being marketed towards young people at a press conference on Sunday. (Henry Lam/The Epoch TImes)
7/12/2010
Updated:
10/1/2015
<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/schumerWEB.jpg" alt="LOADED ENERGY DRINKS: Sen. Charles Schumer holds two brands of alcoholic, caffeinated beverages he says are being marketed towards young people at a press conference on Sunday.  (Henry Lam/The Epoch TImes)" title="LOADED ENERGY DRINKS: Sen. Charles Schumer holds two brands of alcoholic, caffeinated beverages he says are being marketed towards young people at a press conference on Sunday.  (Henry Lam/The Epoch TImes)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-1817513"/></a>
LOADED ENERGY DRINKS: Sen. Charles Schumer holds two brands of alcoholic, caffeinated beverages he says are being marketed towards young people at a press conference on Sunday.  (Henry Lam/The Epoch TImes)
NEW YORK—They may look like harmless nonalcoholic energy drinks, but new brands of trendy caffeinated alcoholic drinks now on the shelves in some markets are fooling many parents and law enforcement personnel.

The 24-ounce cans of Four Loko and Joose are decorated with flashy colors and funky designs that appeal to younger consumers. The labeling and packaging of these beverages make them appear almost the same as ordinary energy drinks. Some stores even stock them right next to other energy drinks, causing further confusion for consumers.

As the beverages seem to be designed to attract underage drinkers, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) called on Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Sunday to launch an investigation into the companies.

“The marketing of drinks Four Loko, Joose, and others like them lead one to believe that manufacturers are trying to mislead legal-age adults while actively courting underage drinkers.” said Schumer.

This is dishonest, irresponsible, and wrong. It’s time for the FTC to immediately turn their attention to these products and address this problem once and for all.” he added.

Schumer noted that prevailing drinks such as Four Loko and Joose look nearly indistinguishable to energy drinks, despite containing up to 12 percent alcohol—more than twice the amount of alcohol in a bottle of beer or a glass of wine. He said that FTC should investigate marketing practices and take enforcement actions if warranted.

“Our parents and law enforcement are doing everything they can to keep alcohol out of the hands of teens, but it becomes a difficult task when beverage makers create and market a product that seems like an everyday energy drink,” Schumer said in a news release.

“Beverage companies have a responsibility not only to their customers, but to the greater public as well,” Schumer wrote in his letter to Jon Leibowitz, chairman of FTC. “Recent marketing practices and campaigns with respect to caffeinated alcoholic beverages raise serious concerns about whether beverage companies are living up to their responsibilities. Any practices that target alcohol advertising to underage drinkers must be stopped.”

New research found that underage and young drinkers who mix alcohol and caffeine—as in Four Loko and Joose—are more likely to suffer injury, be the victim of sexual assault, drive while intoxicated, and require medical attention more often than drinkers who drink caffeine-free beverages.

In 2008, Anheuser-Busch InBev NV and MillerCoors LLC reformulated caffeinated alcoholic beverages under pressure from a number of states and regulatory bodies. However smaller companies such as the manufacturers of Four Loko and Joose managed to stay unnoticed.

In his letter, Schumer asked for a full review of the marketing of caffeinated alcoholic beverages to see whether enforcement actions are warranted, and to ensure sufficient investigative and enforcement resources are focused on stopping alcohol marketing to underage consumers.