Comments on: FDA Gives Alcohol/Caffeine Drinks 30 Days To Prove It’s Safe http://brookstonbeerbulletin.com/fda-gives-alcoholcaffeine-drinks-30-days-to-prove-its-safe/ Jay R. Brooks on Beer Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:22:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://beerzine.com/?v=3.3.1 By: J http://brookstonbeerbulletin.com/fda-gives-alcoholcaffeine-drinks-30-days-to-prove-its-safe/comment-page-1/#comment-10307 J Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:00:29 +0000 http://brookston.beerzine.com/?p=3184#comment-10307 Thanks, I appreciate your perspective. I'm sure you're correct that the problems of over-indulgence are rampant in the college setting, but I believe that the fault for that (along with the cure) lies elsewhere than regulation/prohibition of certain products that young people may prefer. I strongly believe it's unfair to punish these companies and the adults who don't abuse the drinks just because kids might. To me, that's just the wrong way to go about it. Raising the drinking age would, I believe, help (eventually) and so would education. Prohibition has never been shown to be an effective deterrent and that's essentially what the FDA is attempting. As for my saying "they are not concerned about 'about older adults, us post-college folks'" that was meant to be a little funny, and point out that, as I said, I don't believe the fact that younger people might abuse something is a rational reason to remove it from all society. Anything can be abused, but that doesn't mean we prohibit those things for everybody, in effect punishing the people who DON'T abuse it. Thanks, I appreciate your perspective. I’m sure you’re correct that the problems of over-indulgence are rampant in the college setting, but I believe that the fault for that (along with the cure) lies elsewhere than regulation/prohibition of certain products that young people may prefer. I strongly believe it’s unfair to punish these companies and the adults who don’t abuse the drinks just because kids might. To me, that’s just the wrong way to go about it. Raising the drinking age would, I believe, help (eventually) and so would education. Prohibition has never been shown to be an effective deterrent and that’s essentially what the FDA is attempting.

As for my saying “they are not concerned about ‘about older adults, us post-college folks’” that was meant to be a little funny, and point out that, as I said, I don’t believe the fact that younger people might abuse something is a rational reason to remove it from all society. Anything can be abused, but that doesn’t mean we prohibit those things for everybody, in effect punishing the people who DON’T abuse it.

]]> By: aperfectpint http://brookstonbeerbulletin.com/fda-gives-alcoholcaffeine-drinks-30-days-to-prove-its-safe/comment-page-1/#comment-10304 aperfectpint Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:34:27 +0000 http://brookston.beerzine.com/?p=3184#comment-10304 I'm no neo-prohibitionist. In fact, I'm a certified Cicerone and I get paid to organize and facilitate beer tasting events. I evangelize about good beer with a passion. However, in my other life I am a substance abuse educator on college campuses. I just felt that I should offer some perspective from the other side. You say that they are not concerned about "about older adults, us post-college folks". Statistics show a significant drop in stupid drinking behavior post-college. That's not to say that there aren't some idiotic adult drinkers out there, but the number of them as a percentage of the whole population drops. College students are a bigger concern than adults. Add to that that college students, already more prone than the general population to overuse, use these caffeinated and often high alcohol beverages to enable them to stay awake so that they can drink even more. Given the rising number of hospitalizations and deaths on campuses from alcohol poisoning and the increasing number of other kinds of alcohol related deaths, injuries, and sexual assaults on college campuses, it seems prudent to me to take some kind of steps to curb or at least discourage this behavior. Is the FDA move a step too far? Perhaps. Should we just say that idiots are responsible for their own idiocy? Perhaps. But the facts of what is happening on college campuses nowadays should offer some perspective. I’m no neo-prohibitionist. In fact, I’m a certified Cicerone and I get paid to organize and facilitate beer tasting events. I evangelize about good beer with a passion. However, in my other life I am a substance abuse educator on college campuses. I just felt that I should offer some perspective from the other side.
You say that they are not concerned about “about older adults, us post-college folks”. Statistics show a significant drop in stupid drinking behavior post-college. That’s not to say that there aren’t some idiotic adult drinkers out there, but the number of them as a percentage of the whole population drops. College students are a bigger concern than adults.
Add to that that college students, already more prone than the general population to overuse, use these caffeinated and often high alcohol beverages to enable them to stay awake so that they can drink even more. Given the rising number of hospitalizations and deaths on campuses from alcohol poisoning and the increasing number of other kinds of alcohol related deaths, injuries, and sexual assaults on college campuses, it seems prudent to me to take some kind of steps to curb or at least discourage this behavior.
Is the FDA move a step too far? Perhaps. Should we just say that idiots are responsible for their own idiocy? Perhaps. But the facts of what is happening on college campuses nowadays should offer some perspective.

]]> By: Jeff O'Neil http://brookstonbeerbulletin.com/fda-gives-alcoholcaffeine-drinks-30-days-to-prove-its-safe/comment-page-1/#comment-10275 Jeff O'Neil Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:13:53 +0000 http://brookston.beerzine.com/?p=3184#comment-10275 I was wondering why we got a call from the FDA asking for our fax # yesterday and another from the LA Times asking for comment about this today. I guess Ithaca Beer Company is one of the 30. I like your "added for flavor" argument.... I was wondering why we got a call from the FDA asking for our fax # yesterday and another from the LA Times asking for comment about this today. I guess Ithaca Beer Company is one of the 30. I like your “added for flavor” argument….

]]> By: erik http://brookstonbeerbulletin.com/fda-gives-alcoholcaffeine-drinks-30-days-to-prove-its-safe/comment-page-1/#comment-10270 erik Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:29:59 +0000 http://brookston.beerzine.com/?p=3184#comment-10270 "Anti-Alcohols (or AnAl’s)" Well-played, sir. “Anti-Alcohols (or AnAl’s)”

Well-played, sir.

]]> By: J http://brookstonbeerbulletin.com/fda-gives-alcoholcaffeine-drinks-30-days-to-prove-its-safe/comment-page-1/#comment-10260 J Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:00:56 +0000 http://brookston.beerzine.com/?p=3184#comment-10260 Nothing specific yet, the FDA didn't release a list of the manufacturers who were sent a letter. The key phrase from the press release is that the caffeine must be "added intentionally" so you could argue, one supposes, that coffee or tea that is added for flavor doesn't meet that test, and the caffeine is just a by-product and not an intentional ingredient. Nothing specific yet, the FDA didn’t release a list of the manufacturers who were sent a letter. The key phrase from the press release is that the caffeine must be “added intentionally” so you could argue, one supposes, that coffee or tea that is added for flavor doesn’t meet that test, and the caffeine is just a by-product and not an intentional ingredient.

]]> By: Mario (Brewed For Thought) http://brookstonbeerbulletin.com/fda-gives-alcoholcaffeine-drinks-30-days-to-prove-its-safe/comment-page-1/#comment-10258 Mario (Brewed For Thought) Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:51:25 +0000 http://brookston.beerzine.com/?p=3184#comment-10258 Any word on if this affects Mateveza's products? Coffee Stouts? Any word on if this affects Mateveza’s products? Coffee Stouts?

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