A recent care2.com article reports on proposed legislation in Iowa that would go far beyond the already idiotic ban on caffeinated alcoholic beverages such as Four Loko. As reported by Reason and cited within the care2.com story:
The bill defines “caffeinated alcoholic beverage” as “any beverage containing more than one-half of one percent of alcohol by volume, including alcoholic liquor, wine, and beer, to which caffeine is added.” Hence it apparently applies not only to drinks with a noticeable caffeine kick but also to coffee-flavored liqueurs with detectable amounts of the stimulant, such as Kahlua or Tia Maria, and any cocktails made with them, such as a Black Russian or a Mudslide.
Elsewhere in the article, the penalty is listed, which is a fine between $65 and $625 and up to 30 days in jail, and revocation of any liquor license if applicable.
This is a giant step too far and smacks of knee-jerk reactionism. (While I disagree with the FDA’s hardball stance on Four Loko and its ilk, that’s not what is at issue here.) For decades, bars have been making such drinks and serving them with no observed ill effects.
I fail to see what possible good could come of passing this bill. Seriously, don’t the cops in Iowa (and for that matter, Iowa’s ABD agents) have better things to spend their time on? Are they really going to cite people for ordering a shot of bourbon, a cola, and actually mixing the two?