States Tell 5-Hour Energy to Prove Its Ad Claims

Do 73% of doctors really recommend 5-Hour Energy? Is it true that you don't "crash" after it's done pepping you up? Is it safe for teenagers? A group of 33 states is dubious, which is why the Oregon Department of Justice has filed legal papers demanding that the companies behind the drink—Innovative Ventures, Living Essentials, and Microdose Sales—provide unvarnished data and documents proving those and other claims used in its advertising, Oregon Live reports.

The companies provided some documents back in April, but much of the info in them was redacted, including details about the drink's ingredients. The companies filed a suit in June to keep that info secret, but Oregon is now demanding the full story. Oregon is one of five states heading up the investigation, which kicked off when the FDA revealed that it had 92 "adverse incident reports" involving the drink. In 13 of those cases, someone died. (More 5-Hour Energy stories.)