Recent state bans against Four Loko, an alcoholic energy drink popular among college students, has led to a number of consequences, including not only concern among college administrators and students, but even the Federal Drug Administration (FDA.)
In response, yesterday the makers of Four Loko announced that they would no longer put caffeine in the drink.
Mary Pat Clarke, a Council Member who represents Johns Hopkins’ District in the City Council, is against the production of Four Loko.
When asked whether the Council has decided to ban the drink she responded, “No, [but] that doesn’t mean it won’t happen.”
Clarke admitted that though she does not know much about Four Loko, she is aware of the danger of its potency and its mixture of caffeine and alcohol. “[Four Loko] is scary . . . it sounds horrendous” Clarke said.
Dr. Susan Boswell, Dean of Student Life, shared Clarke’s fear of the affects of the drink.
“It appears to be a pretty scary concoction and reportedly gives intoxicated people the sense that they are really not drunk,” Boswell said.
Boswell is not ignorant to the fact that there are parties which serve alcohol every weekend. Aware that college students enjoy the combination of alcohol and energy drinks, such as Red Bull, she warned that “[Four Loko] certainly seems like a product that users need to be very careful with . . . [it] seems to take [the combination] to a whole new level.”
Boswell explained that the drink can not be banned from the University because it is legal for those students over the age of 21.
There have been no security incidents recorded or known by the school that dealt with the drinking of Four Loko yet, although the University will watch for any such issues.
“We will closely monitor things,” Boswell said.
Neither Boswell nor Clarke could be reached for comment after the recent news about removing caffeine from Four Loko was released yesterday.
Infamous for its mixture of alcohol and caffeine, Four Loko’s popularity has rapidly increased within the last year. For the last week, students have been wondering whether or not the drink has been banned in the state of Maryland.
This fear brought about numerous Four Loko parties hosted at sports houses and local apartments on Saturday night.
“I heard the drink was banned in Michigan, so we assumed Maryland was next,” the host of a ‘Four Loko Fiesta’ party said.
Other partygoers believed that the drink was to be banned the very next day, so that night was their last chance to obtain the drink. Another party, with the theme of ‘4 Loko 4 Freedom,’ was held this Saturday.
Unlike those at ‘Four Loko Fiesta,’ those attending were not as dedicated to the cause. By the end of the night the theme was completely forgotten. The attendees danced and played beer pong, just like any other typical college party.
While for some students and teenagers this drink is a great way to get drunk as quickly as possible before going to other parties, some take a different point of view.
“Four Loko is quintessentially liquified crack,” freshman Rahel Gebreyesus said. “Caffeine and alcohol is not by any circumstance the right combination.”
Gebreyesus’ disapproval of the potent drink is shared by others. An anonymous freshman condemns the concoction of caffeine and malt liquor.
“Four Loko is like a legal date rape drug,” he said. He and many others view it as an easy way for college guys to intoxicate girls to such an extreme that they will no longer have control of themselves.
A 23.5 ounce can of Four Loko is either 6 percent or 12 percent pure alcohol, coupled with caffeine, taurine, and guanine. These four ingredients is how the manufacturers, Phusion Projects, named the drink Four Loko. Loko, translated from Spanish to English, means ‘crazy’.
The drink’s name itself conveys the affect it has on users. ABC News recently reported the death of a college student who downed three Four Lokos before shooting himself. Another death of a young woman from Maryland was blamed on the consumption of the drink. After having two Four Lokos, The New York Times reported that she crashed her car into a tree. In both of these incidents, the victims were said to have been acting uncontrollably.
Despite these concerns, some are indifferent to production of Four Loko.
“It really does not matter to me . . . [Four Loko] is good tax revenue,” freshman Kierra Foley said.
Senior Tushiro Baum opposes the banning of the drink because this allows the government to regulate American business.
“The role of the government is not to ban products, it is to allow consumers to make informed and free choices,” he said. The banning of Four Loko seemed to arouse within the Hopkins’ student body a debate about the power and role of the government.
“The government should be allowed to regulate it because it is completely harmful,” an anonymous freshman said. She believed that since the drink only has harmful affects on its users, it is the government’s role to protect its people from it.
Whether due to the numerous lawsuits filed against the drink or due to an FDA threat to ban the drink, Phusion Project announced this yesterday that caffeine is going to be removed from Four Loko.
Students’ reactions to this news have been divided. Many feel that those who had Four Loko knew the risk of drinking it. The responsibility rests not on Four Loko, but on the user.
An anonymous freshman said that, “It pisses me off . . . If you don’t want to buy a drink that will get you drunk fast, don’t buy it.”
However, others feel that if this change will lower the amount of alcoholic incidents, then it should be supported. “If removing caffeine from Four Loko does benefit colleges, then I am all for it,” said an anonymous student.
