An ordinance concerning alcohol energy drinks is scheduled for a public hearing at aThousand Oaks City Council meeting later this month.

In March 2008, community leaders and law enforcement joined together to try and find a way to protect the city’s youth from the deceptive business practices of alcohol companies that sell energy drinks with alcohol. At that meeting, experts explained how those enterprises are using the same tactics as tobacco companies to attract children to consume their products.

On Oct. 27, Thousand Oaks Police Capt. Randy Pentis is expected to present a department report describing how the police department hopes to educate residents in T.O. about the dangers of these alcoholic energy drinks. The City Council will be asked to approve a new ordinance concerning the drinks.

“We hope to be able to make everyone aware that they should check the labels,” said Thousand Oaks Police Sgt. Don Aguilar.

Alcopops, a fruity alcoholic drink especially designed for and marketed to girls, was created as a bridge to get young people to drink flavored hard liquor, such as fruit-flavored vodka. Sales of the soda-like drinks skyrocketed. That success was followed by the introduction of energy drinks spiked with alcohol, also targeting youth.

The caffeinated alcoholic drinks are dangerous because they keep intoxicated consumers awake so they can drink more than they could without a stimulant.

State and federal agencies allow the highly caffeinated, distilled liquor concoction to be mislabeled as a malt liquor, or beer, which is taxed at a lower rate than hard liquor and available through more retailers.

It’s easier to get a license to sell beer and wine than a license to sell hard liquor.

The drinks are labeled Joose, Tilt, Sparks and about 50 other names. Three cans equal five shots of whiskey, with the caffeine of 18 cans of Diet Pepsi.

The alcoholic drinks are labeled in a way that makes it difficult for parents, educators and store clerks to distinguish between those and the nonalcoholic variety of energy drinks.