Some call it liquid cocaine, while others call it the blackout can.
The popular alcoholic product, Four Loko, has been gaining national media attention, as it is a low-cost drink with high alcohol and caffeine content.
The Kansas Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control banned the sale of caffeinated alcoholic beverages Nov. 22 and sent warning letters to four companies, including the company that produces Four Loko, Phusion Projects, LLC.
Senior Caitie Allison thinks college students are attracted to Four Loko because it is inexpensive, usually ranging from $1.99 to $2.50 for a 23.5-ounce can.
“It’s a cheap way to pregame before going out,” Allison said. “You can spend, like, $2 on Four Loko and be tipsy before you get to the bar and not have to spend $20 at the bar … basically, it’s just cheaper.”
A 23.5-ounce can of Four Loko contains 12 percent alcohol, 660 calories and the caffeine equivalent to two cups of coffee. It can be compared to drinking five or six light beers.
One of the biggest controversies about the drink, which was created by three college students at Ohio State University in 2005, is it contains alcohol, which is a depressant, and caffeine, which is a stimulant.
“It’s like the same thing people say about Jager bombs … and people aren’t worried about those,” Allison said.
Mark Stutz, assistant professor of health, sport and human performance, briefly discussed the media attention the drink has been getting in his Human Nutrition course.
“Most of the students had not heard of it, which was probably a good thing,” Stutz said. “The students were just surprised there was that much (alcohol) in there. Six beers, and you have one can here. That’s a lot of alcohol.”
While Kansas is not the first state to ban the drink, it comes after an announcement made by the Federal Drug Administration on Nov. 19.
The announcement from the FDA said adding caffeine to alcoholic drinks was an “unsafe food additive,” and consumption of beverages containing added caffeine and alcohol is associated with risky behaviors that may lead to hazardous and life-threatening situations.
“I think that one of the reasons it is getting such a bad (reputation) is that people are abusing it and just being stupid when they drink it,” Allison said. “With the amount of alcohol in there, you don’t need to drink three, or four, or five and six and then pass out because of alcohol poisoning.”
The creators of Four Loko announced Nov. 16 the company intended to reformulate their products to remove caffeine, guarana and taurine nationwide.
“If our products were unsafe, we would not have expected the federal agency responsible for approving alcoholic beverage formulas, the Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), to have approved them,” the creators said in a Nov. 16 press release. ”Yet, all of our product formulas and packaging were reviewed and approved by the TTB before being offered to consumers. We are taking this step after trying, unsuccessfully, to navigate a difficult and politically-charged regulatory environment at both the state and federal levels.”
Dean of Students Cassy Bailey said students should educate themselves about the drink before consuming it.
“I think, for one, it’s a very clever marketing,” Bailey said. “I think the design of it, the whole marketing thing is very clever … with that comes incredible, incredible danger.”
In an e-mail sent to the Baker University community Monday, Bailey said in accordance with state and federal laws, the consumption, use, sale and possession of caffeinated alcoholic beverages is now prohibited at Baker University and the change has been added to the student handbook, as well as to the list of items banned from the university.
