Incident on College Campus Raises Concerns Over Alcoholic Energy Drinks
Nine Central Washington University students were hospitalized earlier this month after being sickened by “Four Loko” also known as “blackout in a can,” made by Phusion Projects, Inc. of Chicago. This incident led to a ban of “alcohol energy drinks” on Central Washington University’s campus and other college campuses pending an investigation by the Food and Drug Administration into whether or not it is safe to add caffeine to alcoholic beverages. Several states are also reportedly considering outlawing these popular drinks.
Those questioning the safety of these drinks say that the caffeine added to the alcoholic beverages suspend the effects of alcohol consumption, allowing a person to drink far more than they otherwise would. This allows excessive binge drinking by inexperienced drinkers who may not know their limits, and poses a serious danger on college campuses and to youth in general.
Specifically, Washington State Attorney General Rob McKenna called for the drink to be banned, stating that the drinks “present a serious threat to public health and safety.” McKenna has said that his office would review the marketing of these drinks (particularly to minors) to determine whether any consumer protection laws have been violated. The State of Washington had previously raised similar concerns with MillerCoors, LLC and Anhueser-Busch, InBev NV regarding comparable drinks, but no lawsuits were filed because the companies promptly pulled the drinks from shelves.
Some seem to believe that the incident was blown out of proportion, and that the mixing of caffeinated beverages with alcohol is hardly a new or dangerous practice. There is a general disagreement as to whether this is just an unfortunate incident of college kids being college kids, or a clear indication of the need for further regulation of the sale of caffeinated malt liquors. Either way, state officials have made it clear that they are not waiting for another casualty to occur in order to settle the debate.
