Mich. Bans Alcoholic Energy Drinks

The Michigan Liquor Control Commission (LCC) has banned the sale of alcoholic energy drinks, becoming the second state in the nation to do so.

The commission said in a Nov. 3 news release that they “are rescinding approval of all alcoholic energy drinks,” and, after official notification, distributors will have 30 days to pull the drinks from their shelves.

The commissioners’ actions come a week after the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s Oct. 27 letter asking beer distributors to voluntarily pull the high-alcohol, high-caffeine pre-mixed drinks from Penn. markets.

“The decision was made in light of the several studies regarding alcohol energy drinks, the widespread community concerns aired by substance abuse prevention groups, parent groups and various members of the public, as well as the FDA?s decision to further investigate these products,” the news release said. “The Commission believes the packaging is often misleading, and the products themselves can pose problems by directly appealing to a younger customer, encouraging excessive consumption, while mixing alcohol with various other chemical and herbal stimulants.”

“The Commission?s concern for the health, safety and welfare of Michigan citizens and the fact that there is not enough research to validate that these products are safe for consumption has made me believe that until further research is done by the FDA, they should no longer be on Michigan shelves,? said Nida Samona, chairperson of the Michigan LCC. “Alcohol has been recognized as the number one drug problem among youth, and the popularity of alcohol energy drinks is increasing at an alarming rate among college students and underage drinkers.”

Update, Nov. 4: The Michigan LCC has now posted the press release announcing the ban, the Commission Order and Product List, and the Alcohol Energy Drink Motion on its website (all files are PDF).

Correction, Nov. 9: We originally reported (erroneously) that Michigan was the first state to ban alcoholic energy drinks (AEDs). In fact, Utah was the first state to ban AEDs.