The Food and Drug Administration is considering banning caffeinated alcoholic beverages, leaving many to wonder what the effect on students and local businesses may be.

On Nov. 14, the New York Times reported the FDA is considering banning alcoholic beverages with caffeine in them. They made this decision after receiving a letter from 19 state attorneys general who were worried about the safety of such products.

The FDA has since told 30 manufacturers of such beverages they must prove the drinks are safe. There is no timetable set for a possible ban on these drinks.

Some of the more popular beverages among these include Sparks, Joose and Four. Their use is common among students on college campuses.

Katie Carpenter works at Butts, and she said all three are popular among customers. She also said that if alcoholic beverages were banned, it probably wouldn’t affect the business too much.

‘It’s cheap and that’s the way college kids want to go,’ she said. ‘But there are other things to get drunk.’

Jessie Kerr works at Legends Wine and Spirits, and also said banning alcoholic beverages with caffeine in them would not make a huge difference to many students.

‘They’ll just buy Red Bull and mix it with whatever,’ she said.

The state attorney generals are worried the caffeine in the alcoholic beverages may lead people to underestimate how drunk they actually are, giving people a sense of confidence when doing tasks they may be too drunk to undertake.

MillerCoors, makers of Sparks, have already agreed to stop producing the product, although it can still be found at many local businesses, including Butts and Legends.

Carpenter said Butts still orders it weekly.

‘We have quite a few people that are hooked on Sparks,’ she said. Senior Bri Rodriguez works at a liquor store in Rossford, about 20 miles north of Bowling Green. She said she drinks beverages with both alcohol and caffeine in them.

Rodriguez said the beverages should be banned if they really are unsafe to drink, but also said it wouldn’t really affect students who drink.

‘I’d rather they ban them than have them be unsafe,’ she said. ‘When it comes to local businesses, I don’t know a lot of students that really drink a lot of them.”