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PrintWashington state officials banned the sale of alcoholic energy drinks Wednesday, such as Joose and Four Loko, which is sometimes nicknamed "blackout in a can."
According to CNN, the ban is in response to an incident in October where nine Central Washington University students had to be hospitalized after consuming the drink, which has the same amount of alcohol in a 23.5 ounce can as five or six cans of beer, plus the caffeine of several cups of coffee.
Washington state officials say the drink is dangerous because the combination of stimulants and alcohol makes it so that consumers can't easily judge how much they've had to drink.
Four Loko's manufacturer, Phusion Projects of Chicago, however, says that drinking caffeinated alcoholic beverages are no more dangerous than any other alcohol beverages when used responsibly.
According to Time, a study done in 2006 by the Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research journal found that alcohol affects the body in the same way even when paired with caffeine, the only differences are that a person will feel more awake and will think his or her coordination is better when it is not.
Phusion also said in a statement that a ban on alcoholic energy drinks does not address the real problem, which is underage and binge drinking on college campuses.
What do you think about the ban? Do you think all alcoholic energy drinks should be banned in Missouri, too?
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Comments
The only way a ban on alcoholic energy drinks will have the desired effect is if we also get energy drinks out of bars. There isn't much difference between drinking Four Loko and drinking Red Bull and vodka in a bar.
If our actions won't solve the problem, then the best course is to take no action.
DK
Depending upon the quantities ingested, and the frequency of ingestion, alcohol can act as a depressant. The sequence typically goes first to mild elation ("buzz") and then to depression. To put alcohol in an "energy" drink seems counterproductive.
Personally, I prefer to drink ethylene glycol as my winter antifreeze, but most definitely without the added rust inhibitor! :)
Hell, folks at Missouri University of Science & Technology (faculty included) will drink just about anything. We have the only still in the United States designed, built and operated by PhDs. Our "product" is also very useful for removing tar spots from cars or removing old wax from floors.