Loco Over Four Loko
How a fruity, brightly colored malt beverage drove politicians to madness in two short years
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November 15, 2010: WBZ, the CBS affiliate in Boston, reports that the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission plans to ban Four Loko. According to WBZ, commission officials say the drink—a fermented malt beverage with an alcohol content of 12 percent, compared to 40 percent or more for distilled spirits—“is really not a malt liquor, but a much more potent form of hard liquor, like vodka.” The commission’s chairman explains that the ban is aimed at protecting consumers who cannot read: “We are concerned that people who are drinking these alcoholic beverages are not aware of the ingredients which are contained in them.”
The New York Times reports that Four Loko “has been blamed for several deaths over the last several months,” including that of a 20-year-old sophomore at Florida State University in Tallahassee who “started playing with a gun and fatally shot himself after drinking several cans of Four Loko over a number of hours.” Richard Blumenthal tells the Times “there’s just no excuse for the delay in applying standards that clearly should bar this kind of witch’s brew.” Mary Claire O’Brien argues that Four Loko is guilty until proven innocent: “The addition of the caffeine impairs the ability of the drinker to tell when they’re drunk. What is the level at which it becomes dangerous? We don’t know that, and until we can figure it out, the answer is that no level is safe.”
November 16, 2010: Phusion Projects says it will reformulate Four Loko, removing the caffeine, guarana, and taurine. “We have repeatedly contended—and still believe, as do many people throughout the country—that the combination of alcohol and caffeine is safe,” the company’s founders say. “We are taking this step after trying—unsuccessfully—to navigate a difficult and politically charged regulatory environment at both the state and federal levels.”
The Arizona Republic reports that an “extremely intoxicated” 18-year-old from Mesa crashed her SUV into a tree after “playing ‘beer pong’ with the controversial caffeinated alcoholic beverage Four Loko.” The headline: “Caffeine, Alcohol Drink Tied to Crash.”
Reporting on a lawsuit against Phusion Projects by the parents of the FSU student who shot himself after drinking Four Loko, ABC News quotes Schumer, who avers, “It’s almost a death wish disguised as an energy drink.”
November 17, 2010: The FDA and the Federal Trade Commission send warning letters to Phusion Projects, United Brands, Charge Beverages, and New Century Brewing Company, which makes a caffeinated lager called Moonshot. The agency says their products are “adulterated,” and therefore illegal under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, because they contain an additive, caffeine, that is not generally recognized as safe in this context. But the FDA does not conclude that all beverages combining alcohol and caffeine are inherently unsafe. It focuses on these particular companies because they “seemingly target the young adult user.” Federal drug czar Gil Kerlikowske approves the FDA’s marketing-based definition of adulteration, saying “these products are designed, branded, and promoted to encourage binge drinking.”
NPR correspondent Tovia Smith reports that “many college students say they agree with the FDA that alcoholic energy drinks do result in more risky behavior, like drunk driving or sexual assaults.” Smith presents one such student, Ali Burak of Boston College, who says “it seems like every time someone wakes up in the morning and regrets the night before it’s usually because they had Four Loko.”
November 20, 2010: In a Huffington Post essay, David Katz, director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center, explains why “anyone who is for sanity and safety in marketing” should welcome the FDA’s ban. “Combining alcohol and caffeine is—in one word—crazy,” he writes. “Don’t do it! It has an excellent chance of hurting you, and a fairly good chance of killing you.” His evidence: the Maryland car crash in which a woman who had been drinking Four Loko died after colliding with a telephone pole. “It’s hard to imagine any argument for such products,” Katz concludes. “It’s also hard to imagine anyone objecting to a ban of such products.”
Senior Editor Jacob Sullum (jsullum@reason.com) is the author of Saying Yes: In Defense of Drug Use (Tarcher).
Editor's Note: We invite comments and request that they be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of Reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment for any reason at any time.
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Good morning reason!
The Cosmotarians and Liberaltarians shoue be saying Happy Mawlid al-Nabi like all good Muslim Brotherhood/CAIR supporters should. -
On noes. They might be spreading herpes
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Even worse, they might come over here and kill all of our Datsuns.
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dude, you were so much better when you did "Moonshadow" and "Wild World."
What happened to you, Cat?
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The first cut was the deepest.
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You're telling me!
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"Resistance is futile!"
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Word!
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Too many rides on the Peace Train.
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Blasphemy!
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Instead of sitting around on the internet all day, posting pointless messages about "freedom" and abusing yourselves to pictures of loose women, why not do something productive and surrender your lives to Allah?
I want it all!
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Please go away.
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The first prohibition in America did not work. Perhaps if they tried a new one, where only of 40's are allowed to drink, it might work.
These people who want to ban all these things probably want to achieve a Stepford wives type society where everyone is so happy and so polite, I mean who would not want to live in such a society, right ?
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David Katz, director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center, [says] “It’s hard to imagine any argument for such products. It’s also hard to imagine anyone objecting to a ban of such products.”
Sheesh, David. You don't have much of an imagination, do you?
What's harder to imagine is that there are
35 such centers nationwide.Also, Prevention Research Center = PRC. Coincidence? /snark
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That's what happens when you let the Progressive Health Nazis achieve influence. Why isn't America outraged when the First Lady pressures Wal-Mart to sell healthy foods? Where is the outrage against Hospitals that choose not to hire smokers or demand that smokers quit? Why isn't anyone saying anything about the Department of Transportation banning electronic cigarettes on the air without even holding a hearing?
Yeah, everyone says "it won't happen to be" but before you know it the government will be banning something you like, and then what will you do?
New Budget, New Tax Hikes: Obama does it again.
http://libertarians4freedom.bl.....es-it.html -
Are you related to Hercules Deviated Septosis, or whatever the hell his name is?
You never see them in the same thread.
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"Hercules Deviated Septosis"
now that's funny! that guy is out there.
"Earth to Hercules, earth to Hercules, put down your Loco!" -
I am not.
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I am not.
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Is that a double negative?
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No, it's a double reply. It happens. Blame the computer.
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more turds of wisdom from the PRC...
"Thus we are "Research Centers" not because we work in a laboratory, but because we measure effectiveness"
measuring effectiveness = more legislation needed -
“It’s a very bad combination having alcohol, plus caffeine, plus the brain of a young person."
But if you add eye of newt and a pinch of kosher salt, and liquify it, it's pretty good.
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Clearly we must ban young people from having brains.
Or maybe they've already beaten us to that...
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Best tesimonial I've yet seen:
“You just gotta drink it and drink it and drink it and drink it and not even worry about it because it’s awesome and you’re just partying and having fun and getting wild and drinking it.”
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I like how it starts out as a piece of advice and just never goes anywhere at all.
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It goes to ... HELL!!
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Great to see that alcohol and it's place in social order hasn't changed since 1736.
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"A grand total of two studies have found that college students who drink alcoholic beverages containing caffeine (typically bar- or home-mixed cocktails unaffected by the FDA’s ban) tend to drink more and are more prone to risky behavior than college students who drink alcohol by itself."
So I take it that those who drink nothing but straight tequila all night are safer than those who drink rum and cokes, and we should be encouraging young people to do the former?
Just askin'...
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'Once an intoxicant has been identified with a disfavored group—in this case, heedless, hedonistic “young adults”'
Or, in the case of the "malt liquor" analogy that Frank Bruni wrote about... well, you know.
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David Katz, director of Yale University’s Prevention Research Center, [says] “It’s hard to imagine any argument for such products. It’s also hard to imagine anyone objecting to a ban of such products.”
Die in a fire, Dave.
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see? twisted logic wins the day again!
i like what Old Mexican did on another thread...
"It's hard to imagine any argument for such products.
It's also hard to imagine anyone objecting to a ban of such products."
Therefore; because it's hard to imagine, we should ban such products.
butt-speak at its finest... -
... and slowly, with a caffeine IV drip so you can stay awake whilst the flames singe and sear your libtard, nanny-state infused flesh.
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I guess it's back to dissolving crushed-up NoDoz in cans of Milwaukee's Best for me.
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That's good, Son.
Back to basics.
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Was the chick who crashed into the telephone pole driving a Toyota?
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Was in a deli in lower Manhattan the other night where a Wall Street couple was paying an extra $50 for the LAST CASE of Four Loko.
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So where the HELL are the ethanol-sotten, hyper-caffeinated OWS freedom-fighters on THIS???
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Al this reminds me of those ridiculous, insane "Reefer Madness" propaganda films they used to make us watch years, and years, and YEARS ago!
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Feb. 15, 2011: 4 Loco provides material for yet another Sullum on 4 Loco. Side effect: it generates another Colon too.
Just teasing you guys. Not a bad summary, Jacob, and I like the cartoon too.
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Sorry to be picky, but it is THE Ohio State University.
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As a physician, I am not surprised the FDA's behavior in this case. The FDA routinely makes decisions without any basis in science. It bans drugs based on whim rather than rigorous scientific study and maintains marijuana prohibition despite the mountain of scientific data against such policy.
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Hey, FDA: Get your head out of your collective PIRG-beholden arse and go after something demonstrably dangerous - Homeopathy, a scourge of pernicious snakeoil marketers if there ever was one.
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It's unbelievable how many educated people in our society; doctors, scientists, politicians, etc: could be so ignorant of the tremendous logical flaws in extrapolating so much from so little. Its common for people too mistakenly infer causality, but on this dumb of a scale?
Two schools from the same rural region of one state. I mean common, anyone from Eastern Washington knows kids at Central and WSU have nothing to do but rage their faces off. WSU went through a serious riot phase once upon a time. Kids there get drunk and punch things.
And I say this as somebody who has relatively recently partied with those dancing girls in underwear at WSU.
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It's unbelievable how many educated people in our society; doctors, scientists, politicians, etc: could be so ignorant of the tremendous logical flaws
Actually, it is perfectly believable.
Politicians need things to ban and regulate to "protect us from ourselves."
Scientists access billions upon billions of taxpayer dollars conducting "research" that tends to support the foregone conclusions of politicians. (Research that contradicts politicians' ends tends not to lead to additional funding).
And physicians benefit from a licensing scheme that restricts entry into the market of health care providers -- increasing income -- while also creating additional new "health crises" that can be transformed into new "treatments" for "conditions" and further juice the coffers.
It's a nice trifecta for personal financial enrichment at the expense of everyone else.
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Dam, this means it's back to 5-Hour energy/Tahitian Treat/Vodka cocktails.
Oh and I'll make sure I mix it in the Tahitian Treat bottle so I can throw out the other containers. Then the police can't blame the wreck on the vodka or the 5 hour energy, just the Tahitian Treat.
Or say that the combo made me too drunk, too fast.
Anyone remember a similar hullabaloo back in the 80's over wine coolers? That the attractive packaging made them tempting to children? Or how the two-liter bottles encouraged more drinking?
Where is the outrage over other malt beverages that don't even taste like they have alcohol in them?
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Damn, that sounds YUMMY!
... now, where are my car keys ...
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Sshh no one tell the FDA about Coffee Liqueurs
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Great article, I'll have a vodka red bull to celebrate the ban!
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I need an attorney that will sue four loko for me how dose it work do i have to pay money or will they represent me for free till we win? My son drank four loko and now is on trial for murder he has no memory of the night at all or having a gun. i need help i need an attorney to take my case i have no money and my sons only 14 years old being tried as an adult please someone help
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ThaNk U
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asfzxvcas
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we've got many new users here who recently got an Apple iPod touch or an www.apple.com/ipod/start. -
i have bad chest pains when i dring 4 loko. and joose! i didnt know it had such high levels of cafeen! i have slight high blood pressure. i will never drink this again. i have chest pain right now and am buzzed and thought I should google this pain to be safe! then I read this. holy Sh*t! this is crazy. they should post this on the can you drink,right? good luck guys!!! God bless