On the eve of the drinking ban on the London underground, it seems not everyone is a fan of BoJo…
May 31, 2008
April 16, 2008
I LOVE BLoW
An American website using explicit references to cocaine to market an energy drink mix called ‘Blow’ caught the attention of the LA District Public Health Service Food and Drug Administration recently.
In a three-page warning letter sent to the manufacturers of the product, who also run the iloveblow.com website, the FDA conclude that ‘Blow’ is marketed as an “alternative to an illicit street drug.” The list of complaints include:
“The product comes packaged in a vial suggestive of street drug paraphernalia, such as the small vials used to store “crack cocaine”.
“The letters in the product name appear to be spelled out in a white granular substance that resembles cocaine powder.
“The name of your product, “Blow” is well known street drug terminology for illicit cocaine… “Blow” may suggest to the ordinary observer that the product may have effects on the body similar to cocaine.”
The FDA also attacks imagery alluding to drug trafficking – a speedboat being chased under the gun of a helicopter – and powder ‘lines’, “suggestive of the practice used to divide cocaine powder into very fine particles to increase the efficency of nasal absoption prior to insufflation, i.e, snorting.”
The makers of ‘Blow’ describe the product as a “Pure uncut energy mix”, a vial of which should be added to your favourite beverage and shared with friends. ‘Blow’ can be bought in a number of different sized packages including ‘The Stash Box Sampler Pack’, The Recreational User Pack and ‘The Fiender’s Hook Up’. The website sells images of semi-naked women, bling and paparazzi.
Among the list of ingredients of ‘Blow’ are taurine, isotol and caffeine- common ingredients of energy drinks such as RedBull. However, ‘Blow’ contains around twice the level of taurine, nearly three times the level of Insotol and three times the level of caffeine (roughly the equivalent of three cups of coffee) than RedBull.
Last year the FDA compelled another energy drink manufacturer, Redux beverages, to stop trading under the name ‘Cocaine’, following a similar warning letter. It has since been relaunced as Cocaine on their drinkcocaine.com website.
The FDA says ‘Blow’ is a new drug and not recognised as safe and effective for its labelled uses and it is aware of the proliferation of products being manufactured, marketed, or distributed as alternatives to illicit street drugs and being marketed as dietary supplements.
The manufacturers of ‘Blow’ had 15 days to correct violations under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.
