Caffeinated alcoholic beverages, or CABs, are alcoholic beverages that contain caffeine as ![\"470_ap_four_loko_101117\"](\"https://www.olive-wolverine-471793.hostingersite.com/.a/6a00d8341bf7d953ef0133f60ac483970b-320wi\" "\\"470_ap_four_loko_101117\\"/")
an additive and are packaged in combined form.
Alcoholic beverages to which caffeine has been added as a separate ingredient have raised health concerns at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as well as in other federal, state, and local agencies.
On Nov. 17, 2010, FDA announced that it had sent warning letters to four companies that make malt versions of these beverages, advising them that the caffeine included as a separate ingredient is an \”unsafe food additive.\”
These warning letters were not directed at alcoholic beverages that only contain caffeine as a natural constituent of one or more of their ingredients, such as a coffee flavoring.
A Troubling Mix
According to data and expert opinion, caffeine can mask sensory cues that people may rely on to determine how intoxicated they are. This means that individuals drinking these beverages may consume more alcohol—and become more intoxicated—than they realize. At the same time, caffeine does not change blood alcohol content levels, and thus does not reduce the risk of harms associated with drinking alcohol.
Studies suggest that drinking caffeine and alcohol together may lead to hazardous and life-threatening behaviors. For example, serious concerns are raised about whether the combination of alcohol and caffeine is associated with an increased risk of alcohol-related consequences, including alcohol poisoning, sexual assault, and riding with a driver who is under the influence of alcohol.