Attorney General Dick Blumenthal expects the FDA to ban AED. That makes yesterday’s agreement with state liquor distributors to ban the stuff in mid-December slightly suspect.
Here’s Blumenthal’s statement:
“I am pleased that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will reportedly heed my calls dating back more than a year to ban alcoholic energy drinks.”Prohibiting these drinks will literally save lives, preventing potentially deadly mayhem and overdrinking. The FDA is apparently poised to do the right thing, outlawing alcoholic energy drinks — known as ‘blackout in a can’ — before they cause more illness, injury and death.
“I call on the state Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) to halt sales of alcoholic energy drinks as soon as the FDA issues its ruling. A product deemed dangerous — as the FDA will reportedly do tomorrow with alcoholic energy drinks — should be pulled from store shelves instantly. A sales ‘grace period’ is unacceptable and unconscionable, callously and cavalierly endangering public health and safety.”
This additional comment just came in from US Rep. Rosa DeLauro:
“I am pleased that the FDA reportedly has reached a decision on the dangers of caffeinated alcoholic beverages, and look forward to these products being removed from shelves around the country. For more than a year, the FDA has known of the concerns, hospitalizations, and deaths potentially associated with these drinks, and has weighed their safety and legality. Their actions are critical in protecting the American public, and especially the young adults these drinks are specifically marketed to.
“This case is one more example confirming GAO findings that FDA’s oversight of the GRAS process is inadequate, and it is clear that the beverage industry cannot be relied upon to self-regulate the safety of products that are afforded GRAS status. A better process is clearly needed, and I strongly urge the FDA to improve their outdated and ineffective processes by implementing GAO’s recommendations to ensure that the safety of companies’ GRAS determinations are adequately monitored.”
State Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell: “Thanks to Gov. Rell’s quick action on Monday, the state is already one step ahead of the federal government. We have already obtained agreements from Connecticut’s liquor wholesalers to voluntarily suspend their shipment and deliveries of these alcoholic drinks, pending an FDA ruling. In addition, earlier today, the manufacturers of these drinks have agreed to initiate immediate voluntary recalls in the event the FDA determines the products are “adulterated”. We will be watching for the FDA’s ruling and will act accordingly at that time.”