Do you remember where you were when you had your first La Croix? The popular sparkling water has become a fridge staple for so many of us. If you ask around, everyone has a favorite flavor. Well — most of us. Even though it’s likely not a law that’s enforced (unless a police officer happens to be very, very bored), there’s one state in America that has actually made it illegal to drink La Croix. So, how did this happen?
If you figured that someone in politics wasn’t a fan, you’d be wrong. Instead, it’s La Croix’s fault.
Massachusetts set up a law that makes a lot of sense for their residents. According to Delish, water companies need to submit water quality test results in order to be sold in state. That way, residents will always know they’re drinking something fresh.
Well — guess which company failed to follow instructions?
This doesn’t mean that La Croix is selling a bad product. It just means that they skipped the proper procedure. “The Company intends to work with the Commonwealth to provide all requested information in a timely fashion,” a rep for the Department of Public Health said to Consumer Reports. Hopefully, this will be happening sooner rather than later.
Delish writes that the company can actually get into a ton of trouble if they fail to submit these forms. Not doing so kind of makes them look shady.
Such as, are there results in these tests that they don’t want regular customers to see? That’d be terrible news for La Croix, especially since they have a lot of competition.
Even though La Croix is amazing, they’ve had a tough few years. You might remember the lawsuit they had to deal with when their water reportedly contained the same chemical found in insecticide.
The CEO of La Croix was also accused of inappropriately touching others. That action made them lose a lot of fans as well, since it’s often hard to support a beverage when you know what vile actions happen behind the scenes.
LaCroix CEO Nick Caporella is being sued for sexual harassment by 2 male pilots who say he repeatedly groped them on his corporate jet, says @WSJ. pic.twitter.com/ntb2K9Z8hE
— AJ+ (@ajplus) July 4, 2018
And… that’s sadly not it. The CEO also compared managing a sparkling water company to taking care of a disabled loved one.
“Managing a brand is not so different from caring for someone who becomes handicapped," Caporella, CEO, La Croix
— faris (@faris) March 11, 2019
He might just win the award for worst CEO statement of 2019.”
There’s still time...😉 https://t.co/CngJ7nIt93
So, the company hasn’t really been winning over new fans. And sales have been falling quite a bit.
Believe it or not, LaCroix seltzer sales are declining pic.twitter.com/WJiCxGPXSW
— Bloomberg Originals (@bbgoriginals) June 18, 2019
But scandals aside, La Croix is still something everyone likes to sip on in the summer. Especially because sparkling water counts the same as regular, dull water when trying to up your hydration levels.
In fact, some people claim that La Croix is their favorite beverage. And the fact that it’s healthy? Even more of a win.
Plus, it also makes for a great mixer. (Even though that’d take away some of those health points.)
Trying to see the glass as half FULL of vodka/lemon-flavored La Croix
— update_delayerr (@sleepdeepriivee) June 17, 2019
So, hearing that it’s illegal in Massachusetts is still a big bummer. How is it even being sold?
Consumer Reports points out that there are still holes in the system. “This highlights that we have a patchwork of often ineffective rules for bottled and canned waters, and that there are some gaping holes in this scheme,” Erik Olson, senior director of health and food at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) stated.
Now that the news is making headlines, it’s possible that grocery stores will think of pulling it. That means that if you live in Massachusetts, you may want to make sure you’ve got a decent supply.
This also means big things for Polar. It seems like they had no problem submitting the tests, and a lot of people will likely switch over just in case La Croix is hiding something hazardous.
So if you’re drinking La Croix in Massachusetts, you’re technically committing a crime. But again, you won’t be thrown in jail for it.
Still, switching over to another brand (at least, for now) may help you in social situations. You might want to drink La Croix alone, in the safety of your own home, until that paperwork is officially filed.
