"Cocaine" Pulled From Shelves Nationwide

Energy Drink Removed From Stores Amid Concern About Its Name

(AP)  An energy drink called Cocaine has been from pulled from stores nationwide amid concerns about its name, the company that produces it said Monday.

Clegg Ivey, a partner in Redux Beverages LLC of Las Vegas, said the company plans to sell the drink under a new name for now.

The Food and Drug Administration issued a warning letter last month that said Redux was illegally marketing the drink as a street drug alternative and a dietary supplement. May 4 was the deadline for the company to respond.

The FDA cited as evidence the drink's labeling and Web site, which included the statements "Speed in a Can," "Liquid Cocaine" and "Cocaine — Instant Rush." The company says Cocaine contains no drugs and is marketed as an energy drink. It has been sold since last August in at least a dozen states.

"Of course, we intended for Cocaine energy drink to be a legal alternative the same way that celibacy is an alternative to premarital sex," Ivey said. "It's not the same thing and no one thinks it is. Our product doesn't have any cocaine in it. No one thinks that it does. We think it is most likely legal in the United States to ship our product."

Ivey said the FDA did not order the company to stop marketing the drink, but officials were concerned about possible legal action. They will announce a new name within a week and hope to have the product back on store shelves within a few weeks.

"What we would like to do is continue to fight to keep the name because it's clearly the name that's the problem," Ivey said. "What we can't do is distribute our product when regulators in the states and the FDA are saying that if you do this, you could go to jail."

Attorneys general in Connecticut and Illinois recently announced that Redux had agreed to stop marketing Cocaine in those states, while a judge in Texas has halted distribution there.

"Our goal is to literally flush Cocaine down the drain across the nation," said Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who announced the company's agreement with his state Monday. "Our main complaint about Cocaine is its name and marketing strategy seeking to glorify illegal drug use and exploit the allure of marketing 'Speed in a Can,' as it called the product."

The Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection pulled 300 cases of Cocaine from state stores on April 23, saying Redux Beverages did not license the product as required by law.

As part of the agreement, Connecticut distributors and retailers can return unused product to Redux for a full refund.

An FDA spokeswoman said she could not comment because the matter is still pending.

Fans responded to the announcement that Redux would stop marketing Cocaine by leaving dozens of messages, many of them profanity-laced, on a page created for the product on the social networking site MySpace.com.

The energy drink is the first product marketed by Redux, which wants to keep the name Cocaine because it fits with the company's tongue-in-cheek approach, Ivey said.

"We like to think we have a great sense of humor," he said. "And our market, primarily folks from ages 20 to 30, they love the ideas, they love the name, they love the whole campaign. These are not drug users."

[dogband]

I read this earlier and passed on commenting, and have come back to voice an opinion, which will differ from the majority here.

Cocaine, a name of an energy drink. I am glad the government stepped in on this one. A five year old in 1st grade sipping on Cocaine brought from home? [I work in schools, it would happen] Not a good idea.

Small children watching older siblings sip a Cocaine? Can't see the benefit in that.

Whats next, a candy bar called MethAmphetamine? I just can't see the benefit for society.

A teddy bear named red haired ***? Not good.

The company should have had the good sense to not use this name, and the buying public should have the good sense to not purchase this-thus the end of it, but unfortunately GOOD SENSE seems to be a short commodity lately.

How would society and humanity benefit from unchecked names of products?

In the grocery store last week, was a local moron wearing a T-shirt with huge letters for my 11 year old son to see. It said: F*** YOU, YOU F***ing F***. Nice! What a asset to society she was/will be.

So when morons cannot appropriately use the freedoms they have, then someone should step in an offer regulations.

[dogband]

I tend to lean a great deal to the left, and in my mind this means that I am ardently anti war, certainly anti-W, and anti nation building and anti about all the republicans currently stand for, and anti government control of my life. I do not think government should regulate abortions, nor interfere in the end of life decisions such as Terri Shivo. I am a Christian, but loath religious people trying to force their faith on other people.

However, I read this earlier and passed on commenting, and have come back to voice an opinion, which will differ from the majority here.

Cocaine, a name of an energy drink. I am glad the government stepped in on this one. A five year old in 1st grade sipping on Cocaine brought from home? [I work in schools, it would happen] Not a good idea.

Small children watching older siblings sip a Cocaine? Can't see the benefit in that.

Whats next, a candy bar called MethAmphetamine? I just can't see the benefit for society.

A teddy bear named red haired ***? Not good.

The company should have had the good sense to not use this name, and the buying public should have the good sense to not purchase this-thus the end of it, but unfortunately GOOD SENSE seems to be a short commodity lately.

How would society and humanity benefit from unchecked names of products?

[dogband]

I tend to lean a great deal to the left, and in my mind this means that I am ardently anti war, certainly anti-W, and anti nation building and anti about all the republicans currently stand for, and anti government control of my life. I do not think government should regulate abortions, nor interfere in the end of life decisions such as Terri Shivo. I am a Christian, but loath religious people trying to force their faith on other people.

However, I read this earlier and passed on commenting, and have come back to voice an opinion, which will differ from the majority here.

Cocaine, a name of an energy drink. I am glad the government stepped in on this one. A five year old in 1st grade sipping on Cocaine brought from home? [I work in schools, it would happen] Not a good idea.

Small children watching older siblings sip a Cocaine? Can't see the benefit in that.

Whats next, a candy bar called MethAmphetamine? I just can't see the benefit for society.

A teddy bear named red haired ***? Not good.

The company should have had the good sense to not use this name, and the buying public should have the good sense to not purchase this-thus the end of it, but unfortunately GOOD SENSE seems to be a short commodity lately.

How would society and humanity benefit from unchecked names of products?

[lastdance2]

The name of an energy drink.
Is considered news-worthy ????

But ! ! - (The article below :)
This is not : News-worthy

"April 28, 2007"
Perchlorate, a chemical used in rocket fuel, is turning up in the nation's food supply %u2014 in vegetables like lettuce and spinach %u2014 and water supply.

Millions have been exposed to it. This week Congress held hearings to determine just how dangerous it is to humans' health.

"A study from the Centers for Disease Control last year tested almost 3,000 people. They found perchlorate in every single person.
___________________________________________________

How much is in :
Your system ? ? - Your childs system ? ?

What type of : Disease or Affection.
Will target you ? ? - Will target your children ? ? ?

Why are there no : Criminal complaints ? - No criminal charges ?
The Justice Department is : Strangely quiet these days.

Perhaps - The Justice Department, and the News Media
Considers this - nothing more than - Simple Mischief

Therefore - It is not : News-worthy

Lastdance

[melcarnahan]

Land of the Free, Home of the Brave. Glad to see that our Department of Faith-based Justice is focusing on the most serious of crime like gun shootings and burglaries and those who would dare mix cronyism and government instead of wasting time and taxpayers money on making America the least free country in the world.

[bwessels]

This is not a freedom-of-speech or a partisan issue. How about a video game called "High School Massacre?" Is that okay? "Kids love the tongue-in-cheek title." Yeah, right. I'm counting the days until 1/20/09, but turning your response to this article into a rant about GWB is a real stretch. This product is just crass, exploitive, and wrong. Period.

[mannykarl]

It is really Unfathomable that a printed word on a can of sugar fortified water can cause government intervention.I suppose that the next restriction will be the use of the New YOrk City 'Pooper Scooper Law'. I'm sure that the word "pooper' must be offending someone, somwhere, not to mention it's connotation to a bodily function.Ridicules

[omnibus66]

What it boils down to is the religious right, through their new found power in the Bush administration, attempting to strip the rights we used to have in the Constitution. This is an attack on free speech, pure and simple.

The letters C O C A I N E form a word, nothing more, nothing less. Only those who fear words try to restrict their use. You only have to look back to the dark ages of Europe to see the results of religious radicals holding power.

Very frightening that GWB has reportedly referred to the Constitution as "just a piece of paper".

[luvny-2009]

Yeah Dumbya had them pull it, was getting him too excited!

[long_rider]

FDA! Does anyone in that organization know what they are doing? Why arn't they banning food imports from China? Why arn't they investigating the deaths of 7,000 children, due to fake drugs?

The chimp appointed friends to head the FDA, that should tell us something. I guess in order to look as though they are doing something, they decided to go after a small soft drink company.

Good going FDA, Americans feel really confident in your on going efforts to protect our well being.

I can't wait for the FDA to approve powdered feces as a food filler/additive.

[politikz2]

The FDA should worry more about why they still allow companies here to use red 40 in food products, when it is banned in most of northern europe!!

[kirkules]

"Karen - you may not like the answer to your question:

Everything has similar elements because the overwhelming drive of marketing in America is geared to appeal to people who are:

Fat
Undereducated
Lazy (physically and mentally)
Greedy
Ignorant
Irresponsible
Undisciplined
Whiny
Self-Absorbed
self-righteous

... and given that the vast majority of successful products in America keep playing these strings and their sales keep going up - well, it says quite a bit about the American populace."

Most of what is sold by big business, big pharma, and big agriculture is designed to make you keep coming back for more.
It is not designed to nourish you(long term), enlighten you, or heal you(many drugs are designed to dull the symptoms not find a cure).

As for crying about freedom of speech, everybody knows that repetition is an effective learning tool so in my opinion we need to watch out for what we repetitively allow. Besides, no pun intended, this is in bad taste. On the other hand, I bet the cans will go for a few dollars more on eBay.

[gunownerdan]

Cops say LEGALIZE COCAINE
http://www.leap.cc
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

[lslslsls1]

Thanks FDA!
Nice work!

[pixelslinger]

Karen - you may not like the answer to your question:

Everything has similar elements because the overwhelming drive of marketting in America is geared to appeal to people who are:

Fat
Undereducated
Lazy (physically and mentally)
Greedy
Ignorant
Irresponsible
Undisciplined
Whiny
Self-Absorbed
Self-Righteous

... and given that the vast majority of successful products in America keep playing these strings and their sales keep going up - well, it says quite a bit about the American populace.

[krannawitter]

What has happened to free speech? It's rediculous to pull it from shelves and throw a fit because it's name is a drug reference.

Does anyone believe Mountain Dew is made from the dew gathered on mountains? How come it's ok to to sell Root BEER. It's one of the few sodas I see marketed in a brown bottle. Doesn't this encourage youngsters to consume alcohol?

It's just as rediculous to assume that a drink called cocaine is made of such or encourages drug use.

As for the comment that this was bad marketing from the start - look at all this free publicity! When they win the right to legally use the name, this will be an incredibly popular drink. Sales will soar!

[fonic8gw]

.....guess more people would buy a toilet plunger if they call it "***".

[karen091866]

This wasn't an intelligent marketing move to begin with. Given the magnitude of the English language, it seems likely that this company can come up with something else to call their product.

Why must everything have the element of shock value these days, anyway?