Colt 45 "Blast" should be banned, AGs say

BOSTON - Now that Four Loko is off store shelves, another sugary, high-alcohol drink is raising concerns among lawmakers across the country, reports WBZ in Boston. It's called Blast by Colt 45. It's 12 percent alcohol, and packaged in single, 23-ounce cans.

"One can is the equivalent of five beers," says Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley. She and 18 other attorneys general sent a letter to the manufacturer, Pabst Brewing Company. They're asking for a recall. "You open that can, you can't close it back up again. It's being sold and marketed as one serving. For a 21-year-old, 22-year-old to drink that can in an hour or hour and a half, they're not really going to be prepared to walk out of that bar and hopefully not get behind the wheel of a car," says Coakley.

She and other authorities say the brightly-colored packaging and fruity flavors target younger consumers. Snoop Dogg promotes the drink - which has been nicknamed "binge in a can" - on Internet ads.

Pabst Brewing put out a statement saying, "Blast is only meant to be consumed by those above legal drinking age...The alcohol content...is clearly marked on its packaging."

A Blast launch party was planned at the Middle East bar in Cambridge Thursday night. After the city's alcohol commissioner called with concerns about the drink, managers agreed to change the focus of the event, and not serve Blast after all.