Dear Brandon,

This morning, our friends at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) filed suit against MillerCoors Brewing Company over its alcoholic energy drink, Sparks. This bold action is an important new step in the effort to protect America's youth from these dangerous and deceptive products.

Sparks products are 6% to 7% alcohol -- higher than most beer. In October MillerCoors plans to release Sparks Red, a product with a whopping 8% alcohol. But unlike beer, Sparks is formulated to appeal to young people with a sweet, citrus taste that hides the alcohol flavor, and is laced with caffeine and other stimulants that mask the feelings (but not the impairment) of intoxication -- encouraging people to keep drinking past their normal limits.

Even worse, MillerCoors markets Sparks with predatory tactics that appeal to youth, including a juvenile web site that includes a drink recipe called a "lunchbox" and suggests having Sparks for breakfast.

Unlike its competitor Anheuser-Busch, which in June agreed to stop producing and marketing pre-packaged caffeinated alcohol beverages, MillerCoors has ignored calls from CSPI, other national health advocacy groups, and thousands of Americans to pull Sparks off the market.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

1. Read today's press release from CSPI to learn more about how Sparks appeals to young people and encourages dangerous drinking.

2. Submit examples from your community to bolster the lawsuit and related activities. Join Together will pass along your stories to CSPI.

Specifically, CSPI is looking for local examples of:

• The popularity of Sparks (and other alcoholic energy drinks) among underage youth in your community;
  
  
• Youth-friendly marketing tactics for Sparks and similar products;
  
  
• Specific harms to people in your community resulting from consumption of pre-packaged, caffeinated alcohol beverges such as Sparks.

Although the lawsuit today pertains to sales in the District of Columbia, evidence like this from around the country will be very helpful to CSPI in this and future litigation efforts.

Please share stories from your community today.

Sincerely,

Join Together
Boston University School of Public Health

P.S. Please tell your friends and colleagues about this action opportunity, and encourage them to share their local examples, too.