WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration says major brands of caffeinated alcoholic drinks should be off store shelves by mid-December.
The FDA issued warning letters to four companies earlier this month, saying their drinks were unsafe. The agency said the combination of caffeine and alcohol in the drinks can lead to a "wide-awake drunk" and have led to alcohol poisoning, car accidents and assaults.
The agency said Wednesday that Phusion Projects, maker of Four Loko, and United Brands Co., maker of Joose, are no longer shipping the products and expect them to be off store shelves by Dec. 13.
Charge Beverages and New Century Brewing said they no longer are producing their alcoholic energy drinks.
At least four states have banned the beverages.
