Controversial drink, Four Loko, hits campus

Four  Loko is a new drink that has been getting a lot of attention. It packs the power of six cans of beer and five cups of coffee, according to the Vermont director of educational licensing and enforcement.

Four Loko is "a combination of the alcohol and caffeine. They interact with each other, where if you were just drinking straight alcohol your body starts to shut down, you slow down, your motor skills get impaired," said William Goggins, director of educational licensing and enforcement.

"With the addition of caffeine (Four Loko) counteracts so that the body can't tell what it should be doing so it stays at a certain rate and doesn't slow down," Goggins said.

Megan Morse, 21, a senior architect major from Bethel Vt., said she drinks Four Loko because "it's fruity and it's got caffeine in it and I'm an architect major and I need caffeine, and instead of beer; it puts me to sleep."       

According to Now Public, crowd powered media (http://www.nowpublic.com/style/four-loko-alcohol-energy-drink-causing-young-people-black-out-2630373.html), " (Four Loko) comes in a variety of flavors including cranberry lemonade, watermelon, and berry, and it is proving to be quite popular among young people that not only want to get their jolt of caffeine but also get drunk faster."

"I drink Four Loko to get drunk and have fun and to have a good time with my friends," according to Alyssa, a Norwich freshman who requested anonymity. 

Christine Daniels, 21, a senior criminal justice major from Concord, N.H., said she that she drinks Four Loko because "it's cheap and it gets you drunk faster."

Other college students choose to stay away from these drinks.

 "I do not drink Four Loko, I don't drink them because I don't like the taste," said Sarah Scardino, 23, a senior communications major from Stoughton, Mass. "I don't like the taste, it has nothing to do with what's in them or how it makes you feel."

Many students say that Four Loko is not like any other drink out on the market.

According to Lisa, a Norwich freshman who requested anonymity said that Four Loko is more of an energy drink unlike many other alcohol beverages sold in stores. She said that Four Loko "gets the buzz going a little faster" and she can enjoy herself more while drinking it.

"Four Loko has been getting all the press but I know there are other (drinks) out there (that are similar to Four Loko)," Goggins said. "You just go to any mini mart out there or start looking through the cooler; you're going to find those drinks that contain alcohol and caffeine."

Some students have experienced the side effects of drinking Four Loko; others have had friends that have gotten sick from consuming it.

 "I've never gotten sick but I have gotten extremely drunk," Alyssa said.  She continued stating that she has had friends that have gotten sick and she has seen them throw up from drinking Four Loko.

Lisa said that she and her friends have never been sick from drinking Four Loko because the people that she drinks with are not irresponsible. She said, "I know my limit and I know when I start to hit my limit I slow down or start drinking water instead."

Scardino said, "I know a couple of people that have gotten sick from drinking Four Loko they usually get black out drunk and later end up throwing up."

 "I have only had one or two (Four Loko) at a time so I've never really had enough to get sick off of them," Morse said.

This alcohol beverage has already been nick named "pass out in a can" showing that it is dangerous drink and Vermont is lucky to not have had any person be hurt or injured from drinking this product, Goggins said. But, there have been deaths associated with drinking Four Loko in other states.

"The company needs to responsibly make and market Four Loko because there is really no reason to have a 23 and a half ounce can of 12 percent alcohol and caffeine," Goggins said. "From what I understand it doesn't even taste good."

Students on the Norwich campus say that Four Loko targets a younger crowd of people such as themselves.

A lot of college students drink Four Loko and many of her friends drink it as well, according to Daniels. She continues stating that "there cheap and you can afford them" and that is why it is more appealing to the younger crowd of people.

Lisa agrees stating, "every college student possible and outside of college students (drink Four Loko), any normal teenager drinks it."

"It's ‘Phusion Products' that makes (Four Loko)," Goggins said. "They say that they market responsibly. They only want people to drink it responsibly."

Four Loko doesn't appeal to him or his friends, it appeals more to the younger crowd of people Goggins said, "there demographic is probably somewhere between 21 and over crowd up to 30, but kids do pick up on that marketing as well."

Scardino states, "I think (Four Loko) goes to minors just because they think it tastes good and it's cheaper and there's a ton of alcohol in it, so you get drunk at a cheap price."

This drink is likely for people who don't like beer, Morse said, it attracts the younger people because they can handle the caffeine. She said that most people that drink Four Loko are probably in their 20's to 30's.

Four Loko has yet to be banned in the state of Vermont according to Goggins, "we may look to do something in the future but right now we know that the Food and Drug Administration is looking at Four Loko and other products similar to it and considering whether to ban those products out right."

Students say that they do not want to ban Four Loko in the state of Vermont.

"People need to learn how to be more responsible when they drink and it's not just Four Loko it's any type of alcohol beverage" Lisa said.  "Liquor can get you more messed up than Four Loko does and people are just not being smart about it and it's the people like that are getting other people in trouble."

 "My friends know that they can't drink a ton of Four Loko, but some people are just stupid and they think they can handle it," Daniels said.

According to CBS news, "the manufacturer of popular caffeinated alcohol drink Four Loko said it will remove the caffeine from its products, pulling the blend off the market just as the Food and Drug Administration is poised to ban it."

It is the responsibility of the manufacturer to produce products that are not going to "screw people up beyond recognition," Goggins said. "There's really not any benefit to society to have a drink like that out there."