The Kansas Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control is banning all alcoholic energy drinks, effective today, from being sold in the state. Included in the ban are all flavors of Four Loko, Four Maxed, Joose and Max.

This decision comes following a Nov. 17 warning by the Food and Drug Administration after it found caffeine to be unsafe when added to alcoholic liquor and warned the manufacturers of the drinks to immediately correct the problem. The warning letter stated: “It is FDA’s view that the caffeine content of your beverage could result in central nervous system effects if a consumer drank one or more of your product. Therefore, FDA believes the consumption of your product … may result in adverse behavioral outcomes because the caffeine is likely to counteract some, but not all, of the … effects of alcohol.”

The size of the alcoholic energy drinks being sold was typically 24 ounces with a 12 percent alcohol content, making it three to four times the alcohol content of a 12 ounce beer.

“The Division’s concern for the health, safety and welfare of Kansas citizens along with the FDA’s recent ruling validate that these products should no longer be on Kansas shelves,” said Tom Groneman, director of the Kansas Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control.