Brown and White Vol. 117 no. 23

              Vol. 117 No. 23
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
‘All the Lehigh News First’
THE BROWN AND WHITE
Lehigh University’s Student Newspaper Founded in 1894
SPORTS
Lehigh defeats rival Lafayette 27-21
Page 16
ONLINE
Entrepreneurs club teaches useful skills
www.thebrownandwhite.com
The debate over copyrighted music
Page 7
LIFESTYLE
Hawks win in thrilling OT
B&W photos by CHRISTOPHER CHEW
Fans rush the field after Lehigh’s win in overtime. Top right: John Veniero, defensive back, celebrates after scoring a touchdown off a Lafayette fumble in the third quarter. Bottom right: Tight end Alex Wojdowski gets congratulated by his teammates after scoring the winning touchdown in overtime. See story, page 16.
By ADRIAN VELAZQUEZ
Students who drink caffeinated alcoholic beverag­es to keep their energy up in order to “party” longer could soon be out of luck.
On Nov. 13, the Food and Drug Administration alerted 30 manufacturers of caffeinated alcoholic beverages that the FDA will study the safety implica­tions and legality of their products, the FDA said in a press release.
As many as 26 percent of U.S. college students mix alcohol and caffeine, according to a study by the FDA.
“The increasing popularity of consumption of caf­feinated alcoholic beverages by college students and reports of potential health and safety issues necessi­tates that we look seriously at the scientific evidence as soon as possible,” said Joshua Sharfstein, principal deputy commissioner of food and drugs.
Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, a substance added intentionally to food (such as caf­feine in alcoholic beverages) is deemed “unsafe” and is illegal unless the use is approved by FDA regula­tion. The substance is subject to a prior sanction or must be Generally Recognized As Safe, the FDA said in a press release.
According to the FDA, in order for a substance to be Generally Recognized As Safe (in this case alco­holic beverages), the manufacturer has to prove that the beverage contains a safe amount of caffeine. The evidence has to then be studied and acknowledged by qualified experts.
Susan Kitei, director of The Health and Wellness Center, clarified the reasoning for the FDA’s study and how it affects college students.
“What the FDA is saying is that caffeine as an additive to alcohol may not be safe or even legal,” Kitei said. “The companies that are marketing these products are mixing together caffeine, a stimulant, with alcohol, a depressant. The apparent appeal of these beverages is that an individual is able to stay awake longer and therefore party longer and drink more overall.”
Kitei believes that there are certain risks with this combination.
“While the companies stand to profit, the po­tential risks are that by mixing caffeine in with the alcohol, the body’s basic safety mechanism, which is to ‘sleep it off,’ is suppressed, permitting intoxicated individuals to stay awake, albeit with the poor judg­ment induced by the alcohol,” she said. “The poten­tial risk is that those who become intoxicated will be able to stay awake longer, thus possibly both putting themselves and others at risk. Violence, vandalism, sexual assault and drunk driving have all been linked to alcohol abuse.”
According to its press release, in late September, the FDA received a letter from 18 Attorneys General and one city attorney expressing concerns about caf­feinated alcoholic beverages.
Kitei said caffeinated alcoholic beverages may be more harmful than just alcohol.
“In my opinion, these drinks are potentially more dangerous than alcohol alone,” she said. “Because of these concerns, a group is challenging the legality of what is essentially mixing two drugs together without going through an FDA approval process.”
The companies that produce the alcoholic bever­ages must provide sufficient evidence to the FDA by mid-December to prove that they use a safe amount of caffeine in their products.
To date, the FDA has only approved caffeine as an additive for use in soft drinks in concentra­FDA
to study alcohol and caffeine mix
See CAFFEINE Page 2