The controversial energy drink is pulled from the shelves of Connecticut stores for a reason that's controversial in itself.
A seldom enforced section of the Connecticut law has been used to pull cases of the energy drink Cocaine from state store shelves. State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal accused the Las Vegas company that produces the drink of not licensing it as required by state law.
The
drink was attacked by parents and teachers from the moment it hit the market several weeks ago. Opponents claimed the drinks name sent the wrong message to youths, especially in the inner city neighborhoods where the beverage was most often found.
The state has embargoed over 300 cases of the drink on the grounds it doesn't meet state labeling guidelines. The guidelines require the product to carry coding that indicates the source of the drinks water. This allows officials to trace the drink back to it's source.
"We have no information whatsoever on the drink or its potable water," he said. "If there is a problem, we want to get back to the source of the potable water."
The founder of Redux Beverages, Jamey Kirby, said none of the company's distributors mentioned the state requirement and he and the company were unaware of the problem. He accused state officials of selectively enforcing the law.
"It's one of those obscure laws that they overlook," he said. "It's not an equal and just enforcement of the law."
State officials say the drug is marketed in a way that glamorizes drug use and point to the companies website for examples. The sites advertising uses phrases like "Speed in a Can," "Liquid Cocaine" and "Cocaine - Instant Rush" to market their product.
While Cocaine contains no actual drugs it still contains extremely high caffeine levels and had been accused of being a health risk.
