Caffeinated Booze Four Loko, Not Drugs, Sickened Students at Party

the sooner caffine is banned the better IMO. Time to regulate all drugs, not have societys favourites getting off scott free!
 
I think this is fine. Joose and 4Loko suck and are potentially dangerous to idiots (aka a lot of people who drink such beverages).
 
FDA warns makers of alcoholic energy drinks

By MARY CLARE JALONICK
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration issued warning letters Wednesday to four manufacturers of alcoholic energy drinks often consumed by college students, saying the caffeine added to their beverages is an "unsafe food additive."

The combination of caffeine and alcohol in the drinks creates a public health concern and can lead to "a state of wide-awake drunk," said FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg. Evidence has shown their consumption has led to alcohol poisoning, car accidents and assaults, she said.

The government could eventually seize the products if the companies continue to make and market them. The companies have 15 days to respond to the letters and either explain how they will take their products off the market or defend their drinks as safe.

Several college students have been hospitalized in recent months after consuming the drinks. The FDA said experts have raised concerns that the caffeine in the drinks can mask a person's feeling of intoxication, leading to risky behavior. Many of those who consume the drinks are underage drinkers.

In response to such incidents, four states — Washington, Michigan, Utah and Oklahoma — have banned the beverages. Other states are considering similar action.

White House Drug Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske said Wednesday that the FDA's quick action to decrease consumption of the drinks is critical.

"These products are designed, branded, and promoted to encourage binge drinking," he said.

With the FDA decision imminent, Phusion Projects, which manufactures the popular Four Loko, announced late Tuesday that it would reformulate its drinks and remove the caffeine.

The company's statement said it was reformulating the drinks after unsuccessfully trying to deal with "a difficult and politically-charged regulatory environment at both the state and federal levels."

"We have repeatedly contended — and still believe, as do many people throughout the country — that the combination of alcohol and caffeine is safe," said Chris Hunter, Jeff Wright and Jaisen Freeman, who identify themselves as Phusion's three co-founders and current managing partners.

Four Loko comes in several varieties, including fruit punch and blue raspberry. A 23.5-ounce can sells for about $2.50 and has an alcohol content of 12 percent, comparable to four beers, according to the company's website.

The FDA said it views Phusion Projects' announcement as a positive step, but officials said they have not yet heard directly from the company about its timeline for taking the drinks off the market.

The FDA also issued warning letters to Charge Beverages Corp., New Century Brewing Co. and United Brands Company Inc.

Last year the FDA notified more than two dozen manufacturers of caffeinated alcoholic beverages that it never had specifically approved the addition of caffeine to alcoholic drinks and began studying whether it was unsafe and should be outlawed. The agency noted the mix's growing popularity among college students and its potential health and safety issues.

Wednesday's letters focused on seven drinks made by four manufacturers, but Deputy Commissioner Josh Sharfstein said he expects the agency's message to resonate.

"We expect these warning letters to be read across the industry," he said.

Robert McKenna, Washington State Attorney General, praised the FDA move after nine Central Washington University students were sent to a hospital in October after a party where the students drank Four Loko. He said the drinks' popularity has dangerously skyrocketed in the past two years.

"We can look around over the last couple of years and see something has changed, something is different," he said. "What we are seeing now is striking."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40235813/ns/health-addictions/
 
as an alcoholic who recently quit drinking (middle of june) I can say I loved the fuck out of these things. By alcoholic I mean at least two handles of liquor a week just to myself plus other assorted beers throughout the day.

started drinking them one morning before work when going into the stop n go to buy an energy drink and a tallboy. Saw JOOSE and realized I was getting 40 oz worth of alcohol AND an energy drink for about the same price of either seperatly.

depending on how hungover I was (or if I had taken a few shots of vodka before leaving the house) I was either really amped up and buzzed or borderline shitfaced at work. Started to get me into trouble because it was a very thin line to cross. I would also drink one down in maybe 10-15 minutes.

if I was still drinking I would be fucking pissed right now.

I never really liked four loko at all though. It made me feel sick and shitty. It was all about JOOSE
 
I definitely never drank them for the caffeine. It's really simple. I hate to say it, but being that I have another month until I'm 21, I definitely know why it became my drink of choice. It seems its the most reliable and available source of alcohol for your money, if you're under 21. I mean, I'm full on planning a month ahead thinking about the other drinks I like, but previously involved a decent amount of synchronization on someone elses behalf for me to get.

I dont think it influences a person to begin binge drinking or to become a binge drinker. It just rings a bell with people who are already there at that stage. 5 dollars and youre gone, tastes alright, and yes mr. clerk dude, forgot my id, see you tomorrow. One more month though, and my local publix will soon by my manischewitz manufacturer. Big bottle of blackberry wine for 8 bucks. yee yee.
 
Does anybody find this strange?

It appears to me that the FDA is trying to legislate the idiot out of people, when in reality, it's not the drink that's stupid, it's people. Soon people will be dying over something else that has perfectly legal for years and someone will ban that, and this'll happen forever until the US realizes that they should be trying to teach common sense to these idiots so that they don't set precedents for banning perfectly legitimate and apparently well-marketed products because someone found out that today's popular drink/drug/activity isn't 100% safe.
 
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^ lol word

it also seems that pop culture today is all about cutting loose and letting go, and i can dig that. but there also has to be some responsibility w/ that. i mean half the songs on the radio are about getting fucked up and then blaming the substance for the users stupidity and ignorance.

thats why i love harm reduction: ppl are going to use abuse anything and everything. isn't it better that they do it after being educated about the safest ways to use and what actually happens and not what we learned from school's propaganda bullshit. cuz when i found out most of the shit they told me was false, i went apeshit and lost all control i had and didnt believe drugs could do anything bad for me. which is also false.

anyways that was my mini-rant
 
a pretty big story in all this is the FSU student who shot and killed himself while under the influence of 4 loko. it's mentioned earlier in the thread but here's a refresher courtesy of Huffington Post:

The parents of a Florida State University sophomore who accidentally shot and killed himself in September say Four Loko played a role in their son's death.

Joe and Vicki Keiran, the parents of 20-year-old Jason Keiran, are suing the makers of Four Loko, ABC News reports.

According to WESH, Keiran was handling a friend's gun thinking that its safety was on when he shot himself.

ABC reports that the incident occurred after 30 hours of partying. Jason's parents said that their son had ingested at least three cans of Four Loko, and that the drink caused him to become "manic and erratic."

- - - - - - - - - -

this kind of stuff really grinds my gears. now granted, i do not know the specifics, but WTF is an accessible, loaded firearm doing at a party where heavy alcohol consumption is taking place? alcohol + caffeine are not the combo to blame here, alcohol + loaded guns are. and his parents are suing the makers of 4loko? the dude was 20! i dunno... i just felt like ranting for a moment.
 
how bout dumbass kid + shitty parenting.

don't alter your mind if you can't handle it or aren't willing to deal w/ the consequences of doing so. it seems pretty simple to me.
 
vvViolet said:
a pretty big story in all this is the FSU student who shot and killed himself while under the influence of 4 loko. it's mentioned earlier in the thread but here's a refresher courtesy of Huffington Post:

The parents of a Florida State University sophomore who accidentally shot and killed himself in September say Four Loko played a role in their son's death.

Joe and Vicki Keiran, the parents of 20-year-old Jason Keiran, are suing the makers of Four Loko, ABC News reports.

According to WESH, Keiran was handling a friend's gun thinking that its safety was on when he shot himself.

ABC reports that the incident occurred after 30 hours of partying. Jason's parents said that their son had ingested at least three cans of Four Loko, and that the drink caused him to become "manic and erratic."

- - - - - - - - - -

this kind of stuff really grinds my gears. now granted, i do not know the specifics, but WTF is an accessible, loaded firearm doing at a party where heavy alcohol consumption is taking place? alcohol + caffeine are not the combo to blame here, alcohol + loaded guns are. and his parents are suing the makers of 4loko? the dude was 20! i dunno... i just felt like ranting for a moment.
Click to expand...

i can agree with that - especially because there is no place for guns on a college campus.
However, I've had many years of safe firearms usage, and it can be quite fun to down some coors, smoke a spliff, and shoot the colt .45 into a stump of wood in the basement.
Obviously you never point a gun at anyone else or yourself, whether or not the safety is on, or you think it is on. That's just ignorant.
 
yeah lmfao thats funny, he probably did tell himself.... Well its called FourLoco so it has to make you 4 Times CRAZIER, lmao...... then goes on to make it sound like science.... that makes no sense by the way.... 4 times more likely to drive? How on EARTH do you find something like that out!?! LMFAO
 
I have a shitload of these in my fridge. I usually slam one or two with bars/opiates to kick it up a notch without completely passing the fuck out.
 
vvViolet said:
a pretty big story in all this is the FSU student who shot and killed himself while under the influence of 4 loko. it's mentioned earlier in the thread but here's a refresher courtesy of Huffington Post:

The parents of a Florida State University sophomore who accidentally shot and killed himself in September say Four Loko played a role in their son's death.

Joe and Vicki Keiran, the parents of 20-year-old Jason Keiran, are suing the makers of Four Loko, ABC News reports.

According to WESH, Keiran was handling a friend's gun thinking that its safety was on when he shot himself.

ABC reports that the incident occurred after 30 hours of partying. Jason's parents said that their son had ingested at least three cans of Four Loko, and that the drink caused him to become "manic and erratic."

- - - - - - - - - -

this kind of stuff really grinds my gears. now granted, i do not know the specifics, but WTF is an accessible, loaded firearm doing at a party where heavy alcohol consumption is taking place? alcohol + caffeine are not the combo to blame here, alcohol + loaded guns are. and his parents are suing the makers of 4loko? the dude was 20! i dunno... i just felt like ranting for a moment.
Click to expand...


wtf? Seriously WHAT THE FUCK AMERICA?! I have lost all hope in you all...
 
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