I have not been exposed to this drink, nor do I ever plan to have an experience involving one. On one of the days that this drink made the news, my mom called me in an utter panic begging me to stay away from it because it can cause very serious side effects, especially if you take certain medications. However, I had no idea how dangerous it really was.
On November 18, Washington was the latest state to follow in the trend of banning Four Loko, which is becoming more and more popular due to its controversial combination of alcohol and caffeine. One can of Four Loko contains 12% alcohol, along with caffeine in an amount that is equal to an average cup of coffee, which is basically having 5 beers and one cup of coffee all at the same time. As abc.com reports, the drink commonly known among college students as "blackout in a can," Four Loko has been making quite a few headlines recently due to the high amount of dangers it has presented for people, particularly students on college campuses.
Phusion Projects, the manufacturer of Four Loko, maintains: "Our products contain less alcohol than an average rum and cola, less alcohol and caffeine than an average Red Bull and vodka, and are comparable to having coffee after a meal with a couple glasses of wine," regardless of all the health problems it has presented for many people. So many college students are getting ill from consuming Four Loko’s and it is becoming banned in many states, so why would they want to continue to endorse a product that is seemingly only causing harm to the public?
Perhaps there is nothing wrong with the actual drink itself and perhaps there are other drinks out there that contain similar substances, however, no matter what their excuse is, there are ethical issues that stand behind the endorsement of this drink that its corporations cannot escape. Like the tobacco companies continuing to market their products when they know they only cause health problems for people, it has to be asked whether Phusion Projects is “loco” for thinking this drink is a good thing to sell to people.
With ten different flavors under its belt and the fact that it is only $2.50, this drink is understandably welcomed by college students, a majority of which are looking for the cheapest way to get drunk fast. The fact that they are endorsing this, and still trying to figure out more ways to get more people to buy this drink, shows that this company really doesn’t care about the greater good of the people. Phusion Projects has marketed this drink in such a way that makes it almost impossible for it not to be a hit with college students. The only thing they care about is making money, ironically off of something that could kill the people that are putting the money in their pockets. Although it could be argued that people are responsible for themselves and they are to blame if they abuse this drink, its not fully correct for the blame to sit with the users because there is still a company behind the scenes that is allowing the public to have access to a drink like this.
However, if you believe this, then there needs to be a warning put out to current and potential Four Loko buyers: On every corner you turn, there will be a product that is dangerous and perhaps detrimental to your health. And each one of these products has a corporation standing behind it in hopes of making a profit, no matter what the consequences for you may be.
One reason this drink is popular with college students is the cost of a can. In many stores, a can of four loko cost around two dollars a can. For the price of two dollars and a can later, the person consuming the drink can become intoxicated cheaply and efficiently. The reason for the low cost is the use of malt liquor in the drink. Malt liquor is beer that is brewed with less inexpensive adjuncts including core and rice. This creates more alcohol; however, the quality and taste of the alcohol is decreased significantly. Also College Students are also looking for a good deal. That is why many college students are drinking four loko. To sum things up: Four Loko = Low Cost, College Students = Low Cost, Four Loko = College Students.
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