Seward Hails 'cocaine' Demise

James L. Seward

State Senator James L. Seward today hailed a decision by Redux Beverages of Las Vegas to pull its energy drink 'Cocaine' from store shelves nationwide. Seward called for a boycott of the product last year and asked store retailers to decline to carry the product.

"This is the product whose makers advertised it with drug slogans and promoted mixing it with alcohol to produce drinks with names related to cocaine use," Seward said. "I called for a boycott last year and this year filed legislation to ban products using the names of illicit drugs because this sends the wrong message to kids. I am glad that, with other states and the pressure of the FDA, the voices of outraged citizens have been heard and the company is pulling the product."

Seward said attorneys general in Illinois and Connecticut had succeeded in stopping the product from being marketed in their states, and a Texas judge halted its distribution there.

"I don't know what these people were thinking, but it's clear that sanity won out and the efforts of many have succeeded in stopping the distribution of a product clearly keyed to drug themes. What a terrible message to be sending to young people," Seward said.

This year, Seward filed S. 3149, which would prohibit the sale of products bearing the name of illicit drugs.

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