• The Oregonian, Friday, February 29, 2008 12 PM

Claiming that Anheuser-Busch's Bud Extra and Tilt, and Miller's Sparks, contain stimulants that are not officially approved for use in alcohol drinks, the Center for Science in the Public Interest says it will seek a judge's order prohibiting the companies from combining stimulants with alcohol. The activist group also accused the companies of falsely suggesting those stimulants help to combat alcohol's effects.

The center will ask that the companies' profits from the drinks be diverted into a charitable fund. Federal regulators have approved the formulations and labeling for Sparks, and Miller has marketed the beverages responsibly, company spokesman Pete Marino says. Francine Katz, a vp at A-B, says the center's officials are "professional anti-alcohol activists" making "truly alarmist claims." Miller and Anheuser-Busch were recently served with subpoenas from a group of state attorneys general who are investigating claims that the companies improperly marketed the drinks.

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