According to the Office of the Maryland Attorney General, Attorney General Douglas Gansler sent a letter to Pabst Brewing Company asking the company to end production and sale of its new Blast by Colt 45. He says the new flavored malt beverage currently marketed and packaged as “binge-in-a-can” targets youth, specifically young African-Americans.
“At a time when we’re fighting to prevent underage and binge drinking, we call up on Pabst to rethink the dangers posed by Blast, promoted by a popular hip-hop celebrity, as a ‘binge-in-a-can’ in sweet flavors and bright colors aimed at the youngest drinkers,” said Gansler. “I hope our letter asking Pabst to take swift and responsible action will also be heeded by other companies who produce these unsafe ‘supersized’ alcopops.”
Pabst introduced its Blast by Colt 45 earlier this month as a flavored malt beverage in fruit flavors of grape, strawberry lemonade, strawberry watermelon, and blueberry pomegranate, with an alcohol concentration of 12% in brightly colored 23.5 ounce single serving cans. Each serving contains the equivalent of nearly five servings of alcohol. Anyone who consumes a can of Blast within an hour will have engaged in binge drinking as defined by public health authorities.
Pabst also chose its celebrity spokesperson to be hip-hop/rap artist Snoop Dogg, who is popular among people under 21 and whose promotional videos for Blast are accessible to viewers via social media sites such as YouTube and Twitter.
The letter to Pabst was signed by 17 other Attorney Generals, urging Pabst to take immediate steps to significantly reduce the number of servings of alcohol presented in a single serving container to eliminate serious public safety risks posed by this product. They also asks that Pabst take steps to ensure that the marketing of the product does not target an audience that is under 21.
