So, you've heard of energy drinks like Red Bull and Monster, right?  And you probably have heard the new trend among young drinkers of mixing alcohol such as rum or vodka with energy drinks for an extra kick.  Well sure enough, now the market has an assortment of alcoholic versions of energy drinks that are sold in tall, narrow cans, carrying teen-friendly names like Sparks, and Joose.  They  have generally higher levels of alcohol content, as much as 10% by volume, and an assortment of stimulants such as caffeine, guarana, taurine, and ginseng.  Indeed, Sparks has 87mg of caffeine in a 16oz can. 

So it's no wonder that social and pediatric psychologists are worried, mounting an aggressive campaign against them.  Using a combination of a stimulant and a depressant at the same time can be dangerous.  For example, the stimulants in these drinks speed the central nervous system and can mask the alcohol's effect.  Because caffeine makes you feel "wide awake drunk", drinkers may believe that they are "wired" enough to drive home, not understanding how intoxicated they truly are.  Indeed, a 2006 study in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research found that people who consumed energy drinks with alcohol perceived they were less impaired than they really were and that they had better motor coordination, in comparieson with those who drank only alcohol.  Advocates also worry that in some states, these drinks can be sold in convenience stores, where teens have access to them.

Because attorney generals are alleging that companies like Anheuser-Busch are marketing their alcoholic product to minors, they won an agreement with the company to discontinue the alcoholic energy drinks.  But other companies like Miller Brewing are standing by their product and declining to take it off the market.   So what do you think?  Do you believe these products put teens and young people in danger and should be taken off the market?  Or do you think that companies have a right to fair market trade?