Ban on caffeinated alcoholic drinks in the United States

[2] One of the more popular drinks, Four Loko, originally mixed an amount of caffeine equal to three cups of coffee with alcohol equivalent to about three cans of beer.

[5][6] The bans followed a widely publicized incident which resulted in hospitalization in the fall of 2010 of college students who had consumed several cans of Four Loko caffeinated alcoholic beverage.

[7] Utah, which has state controlled liquor retail outlets, after studying them, never permitted the sale of caffeinated alcoholic energy drinks.

[11] In a press release, the FDA states "there is evidence that the combinations of caffeine and alcohol in these products pose a public health concern."

[5] In November 2010, the agency told the manufacturers of seven such beverages, including Four Loko, that their drinks are a "public health concern" and can not stay on the market in their current form.

[1] A member of the FDA said that the agency did not support the claim that the addition of caffeine to these alcoholic beverages is GRAS ("generally recognized as safe"), a regulatory standard.

[3] Multiple liquor stores in the D.C. area near American and Georgetown universities claimed that there was an increase in sales of caffeinated alcoholic beverages before they were moved from the shelves.