State Senate Approves Caffeinated Beer Beverage Ban

April 25, 2011

 

State Senate Approves Caffeinated Beer Beverage Ban

 

Sacramento –The California Senate today approved Senate Bill 39 which would restrict the import, production, and sale of caffeinated beer beverages at retail locations throughout the state.  The bill, was authored by Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) and approved on a vote of 24 - 14.  The bill will next be heard in the State Assembly.

 

“SB 39 will help protect California’s youth. Caffeinated beer beverages are marketed to youth and are a threat to public health.  The added caffeine masks the effects of the high alcohol content, which can lead to risky behavior and binge drinking,” said Senator Padilla.  “With the passage of SB 39, California will join Massachusetts, New York, Washington, Utah, Michigan, and Kansas in banning these dangerous drinks,” he added.

 

Caffeinated beer beverages (CBB’s), which hit the market in 2005, are a dangerous combination of caffeine, high alcohol content, and other added stimulants such as taurine and guarana. Caffeinated beer beverages like Four Loko, Joose and Tilt have become increasingly popular among youth and college-age students.  The added stimulants have been found to mask the effects of alcohol. Consuming one CBB has been compared to drinking five cans of beer and one cup of coffee.

 

The beverages are often flavored with fruit, such as watermelon and blue-raspberry and typically come in large, flashy 23.5 ounce cans. The drinks are marketed to appeal to youth and the cans use graphic images to promote partying, heavy drinking, and often resemble regular energy drinks.  A 2007 study by the Marin Institute found that caffeinated beer beverages are often 25% cheaper than energy drinks of the same volume.

 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), those who consume alcohol mixed with energy drinks are three times more likely to binge drink.  A 2009 University of Florida study found that college-age drinkers were four times more likely to attempt to drive home after drinking alcohol mixed with caffeine. While caffeine may mask the effects of alcohol, the driver’s judgment and reaction time remain impaired.

 

Caffeinated beer beverages have drawn attention due to a series of recent incidents involving underage drinkers.  At Central Washington University nine freshmen students between the ages of 17 and 19 were hospitalized after drinking Four Loko at a party.  Ramapo College in New Jersey banned the drink after twenty-three students were hospitalized.  A number of students were hospitalized at St Joseph’s College in Philadelphia after drinking Four Loko.   “We should act now to help prevent similar incidents from occurring here in California,” said Senator Padilla.

 

Many companies have reformulated their products following a statement the FDA issued in November 2010 labeling the drinks as “adulterated,” unsafe, and illegal.  However, there is no official ban on CBB’s and therefore it would be simple for a company to introduce a CBB into the marketplace.  SB 39 would include in state statute a specific ban on these drinks.

 

SB 39 is supported by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, California Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors, California Medical Association, California Society of Addiction Medicine, Consumer Federation of California, County Alcohol and Drug Program Administrators Association of California, California Police Chiefs Association, and the California Narcotic Officers Association, among others. 

 

Bill Mabie

Chief of Staff

Office of Senator Alex Padilla, 20th District