Seward Urges Boycott Of "cocaine" Drink

State Senator James L. Seward today blasted a company for marketing an energy drink called "Cocaine" and he urged its boycott by convenience store owners and citizens.

"It is outrageous that a company would call its drink 'Cocaine,' making light of a deadly drug at the heart of the murders of innocent people and police officers across the globe," Seward said. "I urge citizens to boycott it and I urge local retailers to exercise their right not to distribute or sell it. It treats drug use and abuse much too casually."

The highly caffeinated product is manufactured by Redux Beverages, a Las Vegas company, as an 'energy' drink like Red Bull.

Seward has written to the company and asked owner James Kirby to pull the drink and renam it. He has also contacted the state Association of Convenience Stores and the state Retail Council, asking them to alert their members to the product and to decline to carry the product in stores across the state.

"What kind of message are we sending to young people in a drug saturated world when a company urges kids to buy and use 'Cocaine' and the company website suggests drinks called "cocaine snort" and an "8-ball," both drug terminology?" Seward asked. "Even their web site is called 'drink cocaine.'

"This is an outrage in that it glamorizes a deadly drug as harmless, energy boosting fun, and we should be offended by it. Could a 10 year old offered drugs on a playground be confused by all the ads touting 'Cocaine' as a harmless energy beverage? It's another thing for parents to deal with that they don't need in this day and age."

Seward urges teachers, parent organizations, churches and civic groups to be aware of and speak out against the drink.

www.drinkcocaine.com
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/03/nyregion/03cocaine.html

-30-