London, Nov 22 The US Food and Drug Administration has announced that drinks, which contain a combination of alcohol and caffeine, will be banned within months if proven to be unsafe.

The agency has asked for scientific evidence to prove it is safe, as they are worried that consuming the drinks, which can mask the effect of alcohol, could lead to rash behaviour, car crashes, violence and assaults.

The FDA issued the ultimatum last week in response to a request made by the National Association of Attorneys General.

"Caffeine added to alcohol poses a significant public health threat," New Scientist quoted a task force headed by the attorney generals of Utah, Guam and Connecticut, as saying.

The FDA allows caffeine concentrations of up to 200 parts per million in soft drinks, but adding caffeine to alcohol is unregulated.

At least two of the 27 companies contacted have already withdrawn their drinks.

In 2006, Cecile Marczinski and Mark Fillmore of the University of Kentucky found that consumers of the drinks felt they were less inebriated than when imbibing alcohol alone, even though they made just as many errors in standard tests of alertness and reaction time. (ANI)