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Caffeinated Booze Prompts State Probes
AGs said to be concerned over deceptive marketing
By Matt Cantor
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Posted Jul 17, 09 1:01 PM CDT
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(Newser)
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State attorneys general are taking a hard look at increasingly popular caffeinated alcohol beverages amid fears the combination is dangerous and targeted at underage drinkers, the Wall Street Journal reports. The AGs are calling for company records from the makers of Joose and Four Loko. At 7-Eleven, Joose has had faster sales growth than any other alcoholic beverage this year.
A push last year to force Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors to pull the caffeine from similar drinks had the inadvertent side effect of helping accelerate sales of Joose and Four Loko, which are made by independent companies. An insider says state officials are eyeing possible misleading marketing techniques—for instance, suggesting that the drinks can provide a boost akin to what’s expected from a nonalcoholic energy drink.