UNITED STATES - Caffeine-and-alcohol drinks to be banned

WASHINGTON (AP):

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is expected to find that caffeine is an unsafe food additive to alcoholic drinks, essentially banning them, and manufacturers will then be warned that marketing caffeinated alcoholic beverages could be illegal.

The FDA ruling, which could come as soon as this week, "should be the nail in the coffin of these dangerous and toxic drinks," Senator Chuck Schumer, D-NY, who has pushed the Obama administration to ban the beverages, said Tuesday. Federal regulators would not confirm Schumer's announcement that a ban was imminent.

While there is little-known medical evidence that the drinks are less safe than other alcoholic drinks, public health advocates say the drinks can make people feel more alert and able to handle tasks like driving. A Wake Forest Univer-sity study found that students who combine caffeine and alcohol are more likely to suffer alcohol-related injuries than those drinking alcohol without caffeine.