Major Victory in Caffeinated Alcohol Beverage Battle
MillerCoors LLC will stop producing and marketing caffeinated alcoholic drinks, including the current formulation of its top-selling Sparks brand, under a settlement with more than a dozen state attorneys general. Many thought that the company was allegedly targeting underage drinkers through its marketing of Sparks.
"Attorneys general from around the country are gravely concerned about pre-mixed alcoholic energy drinks because these products are dangerous and look and taste like popular nonalcoholic energy drinks," Maine Attorney General Steve Rowe said in a prepared statement. "They're popular with young people who wrongly believe that the caffeine will counteract the intoxicating effects of the alcohol." MillerCoors will voluntarily reformulate Sparks to remove the caffeine, taurine, guarana, and ginseng. Under the settlement, the company agreed to end certain marketing strategies that the attorneys general contend appealed to underage youth. They will list the ingredients that will be removed as a result of this settlement from the current contents list on the Sparks Web site.
The company will stop making and marketing Sparks in its current form by January 10. The company will make a $550,000 payment to the States involved in the settlement to cover their legal costs. "This agreement sends a loud and clear message to anyone who still clings to the mistaken belief that it's okay to market beverages that mix alcohol and caffeine. There is no responsible way to sell these amped-up alcopops that are so popular with young people," Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler said in a prepared statement. The complete news release is here. |
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United Kingdom Presses for Zero Tolerance in Underage Drinking and Driving
A recommendation to make it illegal for drivers younger than age 21 to have any alcohol in their system will be presented to government officials in England, Scotland, and Wales, the BBC reported. The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), an independent body that advises the government on drug-related issues in the UK, said the recommendation arose amid concern about impairment in young people driving within the existing drink-driving limits. The legal blood-alcohol limit in the UK is .08 percent. Government statistics show that 14 young drivers and their passengers die weekly in Britain. An ACMD working group has been reviewing current drink-driving legislation. |
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Quick Fact
There were 126,704 emergency department visits by patients aged 20 and younger where alcohol was the only substance involved in the visit, according to a recent study from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration. The full report can be found here. |
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UDETC Publications
See our 'Publications' page on the left for a list of publications available to download. Some of them are also available from us in hardcopy (ones with the asterisk) at no charge. |
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Did you Know?
The 2009 National Leadership Conference, although still in the early planning stages, is tentatively set to be held during the week of August 9th, 2009 in Dallas, Texas. We will continue to keep you informed on details as they become available! |
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February National Electronic Seminar - School Substance Abuse Policy
Date: Thursday, February 19, 2009
Time: 3:00-4:15 p.m. eastern
Underage drinking by high school and university students continues to be a significant problem. Preventing the use of alcohol on campuses is an important goal of administrators because of the many negative consequences resulting from alcohol use and abuse. When schools establish alcohol policies that clearly state expectations and penalties regarding alcohol use by students, they help reinforce the unacceptability of underage drinking. This audio call will address the following questions:
Why is a substance-abuse policy important?
What should a comprehensive substance-abuse policy include?
How should a policy be communicated?
This audio call will help participants realize the importance of developing a strong policy and assist participants in reviewing, communicating, and enforcing a comprehensive policy.
To register for this audio conference or see a calendar of upcoming audio conferences click on 'National Electronic Seminars' on the left side of this page. |
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