Caffeinated-beer ban signed by governor

Aug. 1, 2011 5:07 PM PT

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Companies will no longer be able to produce or sell beer infused with caffeine in California starting Jan. 1 after Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday signed legislation introduced because of the health risks of the beverages.

Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) wrote SB 39 in response to several incidents in which young drinkers were hospitalized for alcohol overdoses while using caffeinated beer.

‘The added caffeine masks the effects of the high alcohol content, which can lead to binge drinking and dangerous behavior,” Padilla said. He said drinking a single caffeinated beer beverage has been compared with drinking five cans of beer and one cup of coffee.

-- Patrick McGreevy

Politi-Cal

Patrick McGreevy

Patrick McGreevy covered the California Legislature out of the Sacramento bureau until 2021. He joined the Los Angeles Times in 1998 and worked in the City Hall and San Fernando Valley bureaus, writing about subjects including Valley secession, LAPD reform and city government during the administrations of Mayors Richard Riordan, James Hahn and Antonio Villaraigosa. He is a native of San Diego and a graduate of San Jose State University.