Is Four Loko Really “Legalized Cocaine In A Can”?
Teens have been hospitalized from it, silly rap tribute videos have been made about it and drinkers from other countries are petitioning to have it distributed on their 7-Eleven shelves as it is here in the States. We’re talking about Four Loko, an energy-plus-alcohol beverage that’s seen by a growing audience of young consumers as the easiest way to get a potent, cheap buzz.
According to reports, one can of Four Loko “can make you do some crazy things.” Each 23.5 oz. can—priced at approx. $2.50—contains 12-percent malt-based alcohol in addition to high amounts of caffeine and sugar, a significant amount when compared to the average mixed drink or beer at roughly five percent alcohol. Many convenience stores don’t even sell Four Loko as part of the beer section, dangerously stocking it amongst other brightly-designed cans of energy drink where it’s easily mistaken for iced tea or fruit punch. (Fruit punch is one of the flavors of the drink, in addition to grape, orange, watermelon, blue raspberry, lemonade, cranberry and cranberry lemonade).
The Four Loko name is derived from its four other ingredients: caffeine, taurine, guarana and wormwood—the latter being an active ingredient in absinthe, the anise-flavored, high-proof spirit. In 2009, the brand ranked fourth in sales growth among alcoholic beverages at 7-Eleven stores nationwide behind first-ranked Joose.
According to the Wall Street Journal, attorneys general in Connecticut, New York, California, and other states are investigating the potential health risks of the drink, along with the marketing practices used to sell it. Back in December 2008, Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors, manufacturers of similar drinks Tilt and Sparks, agreed to reformulate their drinks. Last year Phusion Projects, the makers of Four Loko, fell under investigation because of their significant rise in market share since the brand’s creation in 2005. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned Phusion and over two dozen other brewers and distillers whose drinks contained the “intentional addition of caffeine” that it was looking into the safety and legality of their beverages. These companies may now be forced to discontinue products such as Four unless they can prove the addition of caffeine to alcohol is “generally recognized as safe.”
Four Loko has thousands of Facebook fans. Comments left on the brand’s fanpage are full of teenage bravado (“Dude, I drank six cans last night!”) and glowing tributes (“This is the greatest invention in tha f*ckin world…drink at least 1 a day ♥.”) The drink is a particular favorite among young adults in urban markets. It costs next-to-nothing and while it’s pretty much guaranteed to give you a nightmare experience the next morning (alcohol poisoning has been seen in numerous cases, even after just one can), its popularity is growing by the day—so much so “artists” are dedicating entire songs to it, like the one below:
[...] don’t know about you, but I’m scared. Video spotted at Dr. Jays Live! In Jesus! I Need You!,When Tragic Negroes [...]
I rather smoke weed than drink this stuff and i am a heavy drinker
Fourloko iss crazy thiss dudee tryed tew stab my fren kuss he had six cans
I am engadged to a man who has been drinking Four Loco for quite some time now and the longer he drinks it the stranger his personality gets. He is such a sweet man but whenever he drinks it I swear his head turns on me like Linda Blair. He becomes angry, rude and super mean. Kinda like Jekyll and Hyde. Needless to say it has really taken it’s toll on our relationship and I believe this stuff is very dangerous. This man is 44 years old. Not a kid…
the people who made this drink are amazing. a drink that doesnt taste like it has a lot of alcohol but it does. the general population is retarded and will chug these and get trashed. thats their fault they dont know their limit and cant be responsible. a drink that has alcohol in it and doesnt take like it is called a good recipe and the maker of that recipe should be praised. people need to learn their limit and stop drinking at a certain point (Like all alcohol). the problem is stupid people not the drink. let these dumbasses get wasted on this stuff and drive drunk and get killed. natural selection at its finest. whats next? banning mcdonalds burgers because they are too easy eat and become overweight? its the same logic.
When i go to my brothers house he is always drinkin his lokos and that is all they drink all the time, even their nicknames are dos lokos!! he has multiple loko signs and stickers and all the cans in the recycle bin are loko cans!from my bro to his friends to my cousins all they drink is lokos…no beer…lokoss!! and my brother is hella funny when he drinks hella of them!!
I drank half a can of this product and some very strange behaviors happened. Needless to say I got angry made horrible threats and ended up in the hospital not knowing why I was they when I woke up!
these drinks taste awful and couldn’t be good for you with all of the caffeine, taurine, and even an ingredient that is in absinthe. these products are targeted at younger inexperienced drinkers just like the young women who went to the hospital a CWU. I’m not one of those people who comes out and says ban the products because a few young women were admitted to the hospital, but people have to be responsible and drink their limit. Trust me, I used to be a very heavy drinker but these products can be extremely dangerous so whoever decides to consume Four Loko…Just be careful. Don’t be an idiot and drink 5 cans. They have more alcohol in these drinks than anything you can buy in a convenience store. I’m saying be careful if you’re an inexperienced drinker and don’t over consume. Talking to mainly college women who hardly ever drink!!!
As someone who is in college and is over 21, I don’t think anything is wrong with this stuff. I have seen plenty of my guy friends get completely wasted and act a drunk mess, but they know that they should not drink more than 2; tops. I agree that the issue is because it’s being consumed by kids that are underage and others who are just idiots and dont know how to act. If I have ever drank anything that has caused me to become angry or mean, I usually stay away from it. It comes down to people being responsible. AND, every year, there is a new alcoholic beverage that people get mad about because teenagers drink it and get themselves in bad situations (Zima, Smirnoff Ice, Mikes Hard Lemonade, Sparks, the list goes on). Even RedBull came under fire when it came out because it ‘could’ be mixed with alcohol! How many of those drinks have been banned, recalled and taken off the shelves but yet, we still seem to be having the same problems with drunk retards…
@college girl- you are obviously either chris hunter or jaisen freeman or one of the scum that founded phusion projects. probably chris hunter though, its your style. try not to be so obvious next time before doing the inevitable damage control defending whatever snake oil you’re pitching at the time.
its hilarious to me though that you are such a scumbag that you deny marketing this pisswater “four” garbage to college students….that is your direct target market, you slime. enjoy the lawsuits and get the use out of your undeserved assets while this short ride lasts, you punk.
Jim is retarded, if you think this is bad then you should BAN ALL ALCOHOL. not just one drink. There’s more caffeine in 2 fucking excedrin. There is no magic ingredient that makes for craziness
Great read! You should definitely follow up on this topic.
Sincerest Regards,
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