Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

News

NYC Pols Hate Cocaine the Drug and Cocaine the Energy Drink


By

Jen Chung

Published Oct 3, 2006

Modified Mar 7, 2008


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


Never miss a story

 Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .


By

Jen Chung

Published Oct 3, 2006

Modified Mar 7, 2008


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

2006_10_cocainedrink.jpgIt took only a few days after "energy drink" Cocaine debuted at Fashion Week parties for local lawmakers to freak out. City Councilman James Sanders of Queens held a press conference and said:There are only two reasons that you would seek to use this infamous and insidious name to market your so-called energy drink. Either you are woefully ignorant of the horrors of cocaine addiction, or your god is the dollar bill, and not even human life is more sacred.”Cocaine the drink prides itself on being more caffeinated than Red Bull - but it's no match for a Starbucks coffee, as Newsday found out. And founder of the company that makes the drink, James Kirby, said, "People know the difference; I don't think people will look at our drink and say, 'Oh, I'm going to buy some real cocaine.' Cocaine is associated with energy, and we're allowed to do this." Obviously Kirby has a drink called "Heroin" in the pipeline that makes you really sedated and not much fun to be around.

Health advocates think the drink is awful - too sugary, too salty, too much caffeine - and City Councilman Larry Seabrook of the Bronx said it was like candy cigarettes, that "caused generations upon generations to become smokers.” Video game makers, watch out!

The Cocaine Energy Drink website lists where you can buy the drink in NY and LA, and promises it'll be available on Amazon soon. (Watch the pols try to stop that, too.)

Tagged

bronx

city

City Councilman

cocaine

coffee

fashion

fashion week

fun

headlines

health

heroin

james sanders

la

larry seabrook

News: NYC

people

queens

red bull

starbucks

video


Jen Chung

Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

Read more

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


MORE news

Tompkins Square Park is getting a makeover. Some say it's too much.

Some regulars at the East Village park want to preserve its not-so-fancy offerings.

By

Willow Higgins

Published Oct 17, 2026 at 7:00 a.m. ET


Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn

Mid-October through mid-December is deer mating season, which can be a danger to drivers as the sex-seeking creatures cross roadways throughout the Garden State.

By

Rosemary Misdary

News

Deer are all over New Jersey roads looking for sex, state officials warn

Mid-October through mid-December is deer mating season, which can be a danger to drivers as the sex-seeking creatures cross roadways throughout the Garden State.

By

Rosemary Misdary


Man messaged 'I got straight poison' before giving NYC college students fentanyl, feds say

By

Samantha Max

Inside the plan to fix the nearly collapsed Pfizer Building, 1/64th of an inch at a time

By

David Brand

School bus carrying autistic students got lost in Brooklyn for 4 hours last year

By

Jessica Gould


Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .