States ask MillerCoors to pull Sparks Red drink

According to the Associated Press, twenty-five states asked beverage maker MillerCoors LLC to abandon plans for a new caffeine-infused alcoholic energy drink. Through a letter they urged MillerCoors to abandon plans for the product and said they would consider other steps -- hinting at a potential lawsuit -- if necessary. The company still plans to release the drink on Oct. 1. The federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, or TTB, has approved all formulas and labeling for Sparks. The company said it was reviewing the letter and looked forward to talking with the attorneys general about it. Attorneys general and advocacy groups have long been targeting MillerCoors, and the nation''s largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc., in connection with the making and marketing of such drinks. They say these drinks are targeting teenagers and young drinkers who are already drawn to highly caffeinated drinks like Red Bull. The 25 attorneys general said the new drink will contain as much as 8 percent alcohol by volume, and noted that was higher than other alcoholic energy drinks.