Politics & Government

Attorneys General Opposed to "Binge in a Can" Colt 45 Beverage

The following press release was submitted by Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen.

Attorney General George Jepsen joined with attorneys general of 15 other states today in raising serious concerns about “Blast” by Colt 45, a new fruit-flavored alcoholic beverage introduced by Pabst Brewing Company earlier this month.

Blast is being sold in a variety of fruit flavors and brightly colored, 23.5-ounce cans, making it appealing to younger drinkers. With an alcohol concentration of 12 percent by volume, a 23.5-ounce can of Blast contains the equivalent of 4.7 servings of alcohol. Drinking one can in less than two hours would qualify as “binge drinking” under public health standards.

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently declared binge drinking to be a major public health problem in the United States. The CDC calculates that binge drinkers account for more than half of the 79,000 annual alcohol-related deaths in the U.S.,” Jepsen said.

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“The health risks pose a particular threat to youth, given that about 90 percent of the alcohol consumed by Americans under age 21 is while binge drinking,” Jepsen said. “A product that makes it easier for young people to drink to excess, particularly a high alcohol, “binge-in-a-can” product like Pabst Blast, does not encourage responsible drinking,” he said.

In a letter to Pabst, the attorneys general urged the company to significantly reduce the amount of alcohol in the single-serving container to eliminate the serious public safety risks posed by the product. “Despite the company’s admonition to purchasers to drink responsibly, the product’s design promotes excessive consumption,” the attorneys general said.

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They also urged the company to ensure that its marketing does not target an audience that is below the legal drinking age. The company has hired hip-hop/ rap artist Snoop Dogg as a spokesman and promotional videos are running on social media sites.

The attorney general for Guam and the San Francisco city attorney also signed the letter.

Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Zeman is representing Jepsen in this matter.


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