10.01.07
The attorneys general of 29 states are going after Anheuser-Busch, Miller Brewing Co. and purveyors of alcoholic energy drinks and flavored malt beverages that the law-enforcement officers contend are marketed in a way that appeals to teens.
In a letter dated Aug. 20, the 29 AGs asked the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau to “expand its efforts to prevent misleading health-related statements from being made in connection with” alcoholic beverages that contain caffeine and other stimulants.
The letter noted that nonalcoholic energy drinks have grown rapidly in popularity, especially with teens, and it argued that the alcoholic energy drinks are essentially exploiting that phenomenon. “Alcoholic beverage manufacturers have taken advantage of the youth appeal by engaging in aggressive marketing campaigns,” the letter reads. “These campaigns claim that such beverages increase a person’s stamina or energy level. However, they do not mention the potentially severe, adverse consequences of mixing caffeine with alcohol.”
The letter went on to specifically cite three different marketers of alcoholic energy drinks it said were making misleading claims, and urged the bureau to “review the entire category of alcoholic energy drinks in a systematic way to discover and act upon misleading claims.” The three cited marketers were Miller Brewing Co.’s Sparks and Sparks Plus, Anheuser-Busch’s Bud Extra and Charge Beverages’ Liquid Charge and Liquid Core…The targeted companies took issue with the AGs’ claims.
“Sparks was created solely for the consumption of legal-drinking-age consumers,” Miller said in a statement. “…We work closely with the Tax and Trade Bureau to ensure that all of our products meet federal regulatory requirements. We responsibly market our products to legal-drinking-age consumers consistent with our own high standards, industry marketing codes and applicable laws and regulations.”
—Jeremy Mullman, adage.com, 8/21/07
In a letter dated Aug. 20, the 29 AGs asked the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau to “expand its efforts to prevent misleading health-related statements from being made in connection with” alcoholic beverages that contain caffeine and other stimulants.
The letter noted that nonalcoholic energy drinks have grown rapidly in popularity, especially with teens, and it argued that the alcoholic energy drinks are essentially exploiting that phenomenon. “Alcoholic beverage manufacturers have taken advantage of the youth appeal by engaging in aggressive marketing campaigns,” the letter reads. “These campaigns claim that such beverages increase a person’s stamina or energy level. However, they do not mention the potentially severe, adverse consequences of mixing caffeine with alcohol.”
The letter went on to specifically cite three different marketers of alcoholic energy drinks it said were making misleading claims, and urged the bureau to “review the entire category of alcoholic energy drinks in a systematic way to discover and act upon misleading claims.” The three cited marketers were Miller Brewing Co.’s Sparks and Sparks Plus, Anheuser-Busch’s Bud Extra and Charge Beverages’ Liquid Charge and Liquid Core…The targeted companies took issue with the AGs’ claims.
“Sparks was created solely for the consumption of legal-drinking-age consumers,” Miller said in a statement. “…We work closely with the Tax and Trade Bureau to ensure that all of our products meet federal regulatory requirements. We responsibly market our products to legal-drinking-age consumers consistent with our own high standards, industry marketing codes and applicable laws and regulations.”
—Jeremy Mullman, adage.com, 8/21/07
