Caffeinated alcoholic beverages have gotten a lot of press lately, for being known as a “blackout in a can,” and now, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is urging manufactures to change their drinks, or face being removed from store shelves.
The FDA has targeted the manufactured of seven caffeinated alcoholic beverages Wednesday, informing them that their drinks are a “public health concern” and must change to be able to stay on the market, according to CNN.
While the FDA does not have authority to ban products, the review could lead to further litigation. New York, Utah, Michigan and Oklahoma, along with Washington, have already have taken steps to remove the drinks from stores.
The dangers of caffeinated alcohol drinks came into light in October when nine college students at Central Washington University were hospitalized after drinking Four Loko. Washington state placed a temporary ban on the beverages, and the FDA followed with a review on the beverages.
As a North Charleston personal injury lawyer, I always urge consumers to drink responsibly. Mixing caffeine and alcohol can be dangerous because caffeine is a stimulant and alcohol is a depressant. Drinking the two together can cause the drinker to mislead for tipsy they are, causing them to drink more, and resulting in blacking out, drunk driving and alcohol poisoning.