Lawmaker Wants To Ban Boozy Energy Drinks In Illinois
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WBBM) - Alcohol energy drinks could be off the market in Illinois soon. A state lawmaker has proposed a ban on the manufacture and sale of these drinks, such as Joose or 4 Loko.
LISTEN: Newsradio 780's Melissa Hahn Reports
Podcast
State Sen. Ira Silverstein (D-Chicago) says the drinks contain two to three coffee cups worth of caffeine and the alcohol in two to three beers. He thinks it could be a lethal combination, especially in young people.
"We need to send a message to the people who sell these drinks that we don't want them in Illinois ," Silverstein said." The drink 4 Loko is made by Phusion Projects LLC of Chicago.
He's not alone in wanting these drinks off the shelves. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has deemed the caffeine in the drinks as an "unsafe food additive," forcing makers to either defend the drinks as safe, or stop adding the caffeine.
Five other states have banned the drinks. They are New York, Washington, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Oklahoma.
