(Reuters) - Sixteen state attorneys general are urging the Pabst Brewing Company to reduce the alcohol content of a controversial fruit-flavored drink that is getting high-profile promotion from rapper Snoop Dogg.
The request came in a letter from Maryland Attorney General F. Gansler and was signed by attorneys general from Arizona, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Ohio, Tennessee, Washington, Utah, California, Idaho and Connecticut. Guam's attorney general and the city attorney general of San Francisco also signed.
The drink, Blast by Colt 45, is sold in 23.5- and seven-ounce containers and has a 12 percent alcohol content, more than twice that of most beers and comparable to wine.
Flavors include grape, raspberry watermelon, strawberry lemonade and blueberry pomegranate flavors.
"We believe the manufacture and marketing of this flavored 'binge in a can' poses a grave public safety threat and is irresponsible," said the letter, which was dated April 21.
"We are also concerned that the target market for all size containers of Blast ... will also include persons under the legal drinking age, in violation of state law."
The letter asked the manufacturer, Illinois-based Pabst Brewing Co., to take "immediate steps to significantly reduce the number of servings of alcohol presented to consumers in a single-serving container so as to eliminate the serious public safety risks."
In a separate statement Gansler noted Blast spokesman Snoop Dogg's wide popularity with young people under the legal drinking age and said the drink's promotional videos featuring the rapper can be viewed by anyone on web sites like YouTube.
Pabst issued a statement denying that Blast is being marketed to underage drinkers, saying the beverage was "only meant to be consumed by those above the legal drinking age."
"As with all Pabst products, our marketing efforts ... are focused on conveying the message of drinking responsibly," the company said.
The statement, which echoed one Pabst issued in March amid criticism about the controversial new product, added that "the alcohol content of Blast is clearly marked on its packaging."
Representatives for Pabst and Snoop Dogg did not immediately return calls seeking comment on Friday.
John Challis, Senior Vice President of Daytop Treatment Services which deals with substance abuse, said on Friday that while Pabst denies it, Blast is "clearly being packaged and marketed to a younger audience."
"The fundamental issue is strong liquor masquerading as beer," Challis said.
(Reporting by Bernd Debusmann Jr., editing by Chris Michaud and Peter Bohan)
