By
Cat Viglienzoni - July 12, 2010
A New York senator is calling for a Federal Trade
Commission investigation into alcohol-energy drinks that he believes are
targeting drinkers under the age of 21. The drinks have flashy colors and funky
designs, which Senator Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) thinks are a deliberate
marketing ploy toward underage drinkers.
Schumer said the drinks are promoted with "grossly
irresponsible" marketing designed to confuse parents and police. Beverages like
Joose or Four Loko use small print to distinguish their alcohol content - up to
12 percent.
"They're putting out beverages that have three to four
times the alcohol content of beer," he said. "They add caffeine to these
drinks, which makes them more potent, and then they market them as if they were
just regular energy drinks."
With their colorful, edgy can designs and flavors like
grape and orange and prices as low as $2.50 a can, Schumer said the companies
are designed to appeal to underage consumers.
"They seem to be marketed to young people," he said. "They
seem to be wanting young people to take this stuff, even though it's potent and
potentially dangerous."
But at least one of the companies, United Beverage Co. - which
makes Joose - denies the accusation, saying they do not target anyone under the
legal drinking age. They said they market nationally through beer distributors.
"We don't condone nontraditional marketing. We position
our product toward at least the age of 21 and older," said Michael Mikhail, chief
executive of United Brands Co. "We do not target college kids. We don't condone
it."
The U.S. Food and Drug Commission has never explicitly
approved the addition of caffeine to alcoholic beverages and told more than two
dozen manufacturers it has begun to study whether it is unsafe and should be
banned. The agency also pointed out the drink's rising popularity among college
students and the potential health and safety issues associated with the
combination of alcohol and caffeine.
