One day after U.S. Senator Charles Schumer called on the New York State Liquor Authority to ban caffeinated alcoholic drinks in New York, a Westchester County doctor is saying such drinks are a deadly accident waiting to happen.

Dr. William J. Higgins, an Internist with Westchester Medical Practice at Hudson Valley Hospital Center in Cortlandt says the combination of the two drugs is particularly insidious.

The brightly colored fruit flavored drinks, which come in 23.5 ounce sizes, he says, clearly are marketed to underage drinkers. The drinks, according to the manufacturer, Phusion Projects LLC of Chicago, Illinois, contain 12% alcohol and contain the equivalent of three shots of espresso. They sell for between $2.50 and $3.00 a can.

Dr. Higgins says the two drugs  mixed together is problematic, because people who drink it are often unable to realize how drunk they truly are due to the uplifting effects of the caffeine.

Said Higgins, "After 4 beers (one can), most people would be feeling pretty relaxed and pretty mellow, but the caffeine part of it is saying you feel a little high right now, so lets have another can. So, now you're on your 8th can of beer and you think you're okay."

The drink is blamed for the death of a Long Island teenager.

Earlier this month, nine Central Washington University students had to be hospitalized due to their consumption of Four Loko drinks and 17 students from Ramapo College in New Jersey had to be hospitalized after drinking the drink.

Michigan and Oklahoma have moved to ban the drink. U.S. Senator Charles Schumer wants the State Liquor authority to examine the issue and possibly ban the drink calling it a "toxic, dangerous mix of caffeine and alcohol."

The company maintains that its drink is safe and that the alcohol content is no more than an ordinary alcoholic beverage and the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee or other energy drinks.