LAS VEGAS -- Most people know what cocaine is, and now Redux Beverages in Las Vegas is offering what it calls a "legal alternative" to the illegal drug in form of an energy drink. Jamey Kirby, the drink's inventor, says the name for the drink Cocaine came to him during a brainstorming session at 1 o'clock in the morning.
"It's an energy drink, and it's a fun name," Kirby told ABC News. "As soon as people look at the can, they smile."
Kirby said Redux wanted to make a beverage that would send a sensation to the mouth. [image-nocss] He describes Cocaine, the new beverage, as a "fruity, atomic fireball" drink.
The 8.4-fluid-ounce energy booster has no actual cocaine in it, but it does contain 280 milligrams of caffeine. According to the company's Web site, the only way to get more caffeine per ounce is with an espresso.
"It's just a bad idea and has all the same downsides of too much caffeine plus a very bad name," Dr. Charles O'Brien, a professor and vice chairman of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, told ABC News.
The beverage is marketed to give a person a "high" coupled with a tingly euphoric feeling within five minutes of drinking it. That initial boost is followed 15 minutes later by an energy buzz that will last five to six hours, according to the company.
Kirby said a "throat-numbing" ingredient is added to the drink to emulate its namesake, but he won't divulge the identity of that add-in, saying it's confidential.
"We're getting a phenomenal response," said Kirby, crediting the can's simple design and product promotion for the drink's early success among consumers from high school kids to 30-year-olds.
The company isn't hiding from mixing Cocaine with alcohol. On the drink's Web site, www.DrinkCocaine.com, it posts a variety of alcohol and Cocaine combinations.
Kirby, who said the world is ready for a beverage named after an illegal drug, has been surprised by the lack of controversy over the name of the drink. We've been shocked by its acceptance," he said. "We thought it would be a hard sell."
So far, the drink can be found only in bars and convenience stores in the Los Angeles and New York metropolitan areas. It is expected to debut in San Diego this week.
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