Illinois Attorney General Calls Blast By Pabst A 'Binge In A Can,' Wants Alcohol Lowered

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is joining a chorus of state and city officials calling for Pabst Blue Ribbon to reduce the alcohol content in Blast by Colt 45, a high-alcohol malt beverage being promoted by Snoop Dog.

Madigan made the request in a letter to Pabst Thursday, according to a release from her office. She also expressed concern over the product being marketed to minors.

Officials in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Guam, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Maine, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah and Washington, and the San Francisco city attorney have all spoken out against the beverage, and some groups have accused Pabst of targeting African American youths specifically.

The Marin Institute, an alcohol watchdog group, called rapper Snoop Dogg's endorsement of the product an "obvious attempt to target urban youth."

Madigan's office said that a single 23.5 ounce container of Blast contains a 12 percent alcohol concentration, which is "equivalent to drinking an entire six-pack of typical American beer." They also said the "brightly colored cans and fruit flavors" will attract underage drinkers to the "binge-in-a-can."

"Alcohol abuse among young people is a serious and alarming epidemic," Madigan said in a statement. "A product like this only serves to glamorize alcohol abuse and promote binge drinking, threatening the safety of those consuming it."

This is not the first time Madigan has gone after the alcohol industry. In 2007 and 2008, she targeted the makers of alcoholic energy drinks and got many companies to pull their products off the shelves.