Four Loko has gone viral. YouTube has numerous videos of people chugging the drink for the camera as well as raps dedicated to the drink with tens of thousands of views. Facebook has 87,000 people who like it enough to join a group devoted to the drink.
The cause for concern has been high as of late due to widespread backlash following two incidents involving the alcohol-energy drink last month. Nine students at Central Washington University were hospitalized with blood-alcohol-content (BAC) up to .35; health officials linked the drink to the sickness. All of the students who fell ill are aged between 17 and 19, and one female student nearly died.
After the incident, Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna told CBS, “It’s time to bring an end to the sale of alcoholic energy drinks. […] They are marketed to kids by using fruit flavors that mask the taste of alcohol.”
Also, after 23 students at Ramapo College in New Jersey were hospitalized, caffeinated alcoholic-energy beverages were banned from the school.
Colleges everywhere, from Harvard to the University of Arizona, have warned students through e-mail about the dangers involving alcoholic energy drinks.
And, for once, this ASU faithful will agree with Tucson. ASU officials should follow suit and issue a warning of the dangers of drinks like Four Loko.
The mammoth nearly 24-ounce beverage sounds like a great $3 deal for those seeking to get drunk fast. It is 12 percent alcohol, and just one can leaves many people legally intoxicated.
And that is one major problem with the beverage and its marketing: Those who buy an energy-alcohol product usually do so because it is known as a “blackout in a can.” Older and more conservative drinkers do not start or end their night with Four Loko, so when considering warnings about the beverage, younger drinkers should be the focus.
Although Four Loko cans have large text that affirms the amount of alcohol content, nowhere does it state that a can is equal to consuming five or six beers. Furthermore, caffeine is included as an ingredient, but it is dubious drinkers realize they are having five cups of coffee in addition to the alcohol.
The Four Loko website, to its credit, provides sufficient information about responsible drinking and the beverage, but it makes the mistake of welcoming visitors to a nightclub-like design on its website, clearly targeting a young audience.
From the website to the beverage flavors (like lemon and grape) the company’s argument denying its advertising focus is highly unconvincing.
According to the New York Times, 18 state attorney generals are urging the FDA to consider whether the beverages are safe for consumption.
Students, however, need not wait for any bureaucratic action before chugging a blackout.
Share your Four Loko story at Zachary.Levin-Epstein@asu.edu
Want to get the latest ASU news in your inbox every day? Sign up for our new e-mail newsletter.
