Blog Entry 5-FOUR Loko Banned

Four Loko is a highly caffeinated, high alcohol, malt beverage that has become extremely popular among young drinkers. While working at City Brewery this past summer, I was able to find out some of the effects of this alcoholic-energy drink. The combination of high alcohol and high caffeine result in an overly potent beverage. Which makes it relatively easy to get extremely intoxicated without drinking an absurd  amount.

The "big thing" to do at many colleges now is to try the Four Loko Challenge. This challenge is to drink 4 Four Loko's in 4 hours without passing out. When you consider that the drink has a 12% alcohol percentage. At 23.5 ounces per can, this makes each can comparable to 6 light beers. As you may know, alcohol is known as a "downer". This means that it makes you drowsy. Caffeine on the other hand is known as an "upper". As you probably know, caffeine has been known to be used to keep people awake. The combination of using a "downer" and an "upper" at the same time results in a delay of intoxication. When you mix alcohol and caffeine, it causes a person to have high energy while becoming intoxicated. So a person will not reach their highest point of intoxication until the caffeine wears off. Caffeine is also known for giving "crashes". When a person "crashes" they become drowsy. So when someone hits this point in their night, they're not only drowsy from the alcohol, but also even more drowsy because of their "crash". When someone combines this feeling, with that of alcohol intoxication, that person feels even more intoxicated than they normally would. Which is why it has been banned.

Young people have a hard time managing their alcohol consumption. they just don't know when to stop. This makes having this drink available a giant problem. There have been multiple recorded deaths from alcohol poisoning because of the use of Four Loko. The ban states that no stores are allowed to carry, and no breweries are allowed to produce this drink. Now, that doesn't mean that this drink is illegal to consume. So people have been buying and stock piling this drink. So it looks like Four still isn't out of business.... Yet.