The FDA is weighing a decision to ban caffeinated alcoholic beverages. Which is garbage. They're viewing this as a ban on Sparks or similar products. But it reasonably would prohibit bar staples, such as red bull and vodka* or rum-and-cokes. More pointedly, it would prohibit irish coffees, which I can imagine that more than a few congressmen have quaffed on occasion. However, if the type of nanny state government that Bloomberg has imposed on New York become instituted nation wide (no trans fat! no smoking in bars!), this will be on the list.
*True story--I met a girl who ordered a red bull/vodka once at a bar. I told her that I'd never heard of a "Red Bull" and wanted to know what it was. She proceeded to extol the virtues of the drink, and buy another 3 or 4 for us in quick succession. This incident occurred in late 2006. The lesson learned: it can be fun to tell people that you've never heard of a common, well-known product and watch as they overreact.
Hattip-Sports Guy
10 comments:
ha! total bs
"federal food regulators threatened on Friday to ban caffeinated alcoholic drinks unless their makers quickly proved that the beverages were safe."
what a weird argument considering the FDA doesn't require the multi billion dollar supplement industry to prove safety in this country...
Ha, this reminds me of that dark time in my life when I insisted on playing pong exclusively with Bud E.
However, the FDA is only targeting alcoholic beverages to which the manufacturer has intentionally added caffeine. So rum&coke, vodka&red bull, and Irish coffee are safe for now.
Didn't I read that Sparx was discontinued anyway?
In case the ban does pass, here is a recipe for bathtub sparks
http://blogs.sfweekly.com/foodie/2009/11/the_sparks-speriment_how_to_ma.php
This is an outrage! These things are great on occasion.
The real problem here is that these foods have to "prove their innocence." This is crap. Of course these drinks lead to "increased risk of serious injury, drunken driving, sexual assault and other dangerous behavior." There's alcohol in it! All alcohol does this!
This is a witch hunt! At least when they were pissed off at Sparx for seemingly marketing to kids, they had some semblance of an argument. Now, it's just arbitrary singling out of a product that old folks don't care for.
I'll demonstrate that these drinks are safe. Give me ten of them. I'll drink them all without punching, raping or driving, all in one night!
I'm pretty sure the copious amounts of Smirnoff Razzy Twist and Crystal Light I consumed in Mid-Fayerweather freshman year contributed to "increased risk of serious injury, drunken driving, sexual assault and other dangerous behavior."
Of course, that was back in Ye Olden Days Before Caffeinated Malt Liquor, so who knows how much worse it could have been?
Sparx got me through banking. It would be the go-to drink on a friday evening post work pre-Phebe's.
Some people in finance loved their white girl. I preferred my good ole orange and grey tall boy.
That didn't come out right.
See, everybody's doing it: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h5zisf97zDHqHZziIWz5FwJPeRQQD9CGKIN80 . Nanny government? Pssssh whatevah! Hand me the soma.
Sparks will forever make me think of J.Dinner chugging these before AS Soccer games in the weekend summer league, when y'all would roll in SO hungover from the usual LI weekend bender... then I think of Scos pushing little kids out of the way to go throw up. Ahhh, the good ol' days.
It looks like popcorn, like everything else, could kill you.
First Sparks, now this... what elst this week will the government take from us?!?!
It looks like popcorn, like everything else, could kill you.
First Sparks, now this... what elst this week will the government take from us?!?!
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