Michigan has banned all alcoholic, caffeinated energy drinks from being sold in the state after nine Washington college students were hospitalized last month after consuming Four Loko, known as "blackout in a can."

Reversing its earlier approval, the Michigan Liquor Control Commission yesterday banned Four Loko and 54 similar fruity, high-caffeine, high-alcohol drinks, Detroit Free Press reports. Other banned drinks include Joose and Smirnoff Raw Tea. Manufacturers have 30 days to remove their products from stores.

In its news release, the regulator said it acted "in light of the several studies regarding alcohol energy drinks, the widespread community concerns aired by substance abuse prevention groups, parent groups and various members of the public, as well as the FDA's decision to further investigate these products."

It added that "the packaging is often misleading, and the products themselves can pose problems by directly appealing to a younger customer, encouraging excessive consumption, while mixing alcohol with various other chemical and herbal stimulants."

Here's the list of banned drinks.

A typical alcoholic energy drink is about 24 ounces with a 12% alcohol content, which means it has almost three to four times the alcohol contained in a standard 12-ounce can of beer with 4% to 5% alcohol. Also, the caffeine is equivalent to about four cups of coffee, which can suppress the effects of alcohol and let someone drink more.

Phusion Projects, which makes Four Loko and several other banned drinks, said it plans to challenge the ban in court, the Free Press says.

Besides the Central Washington University students, 23 undergrads at Ramapo College in New Jersey suffered alcohol poisoning last month after drinking too much Four Loko. As a result, the school has banned alcoholic energy drinks from campus.

Update Tuesday, Nov. 9, at 4:54 p.m. ET: London-based Diageo, the parent company of Smirnoff and the world's largest producer of spirits, writes On Deadline to say that Smirnoff Raw Tea was erroneously included on the Michigan Liquor Control Commission's list of banned products. The beverage was not an "energy" drink and was taken off the U.S. market more than a year ago "for commercial reasons."

"In accordance with Diageo's strict marketing code, Diageo never marketed Smirnoff Raw Tea as an energy drink and does not market any other brands that way or make claims on any products implying energizing, stimulating or invigorating properties," the company said in a statement.

A spokeswoman added that the company does not make any "energy" drinks like the ones that were banned, and that Raw Tea was never produced or sold outside the states.

(Posted by Michael Winter)