It’s been dubbed “liquid cocaine” and “blackout in a can.” It’s inspired Facebook fan pages. And given its potential for misuse, some students said the alcoholic energy drink Four Loko definitely lives up to those names.
Four Loko packs a 12 percent alcohol content and a hefty dose of caffeine and sugar into a 23.5-ounce can and has gained popularity among college students as a quick way to get drunk — all for about $2.50.
“People already use energy drinks and alcohol,” junior marketing major Josh Wohl said. “This just puts it all together.”
But as the drink gains recognition among students, police and university administrators are taking notice, too, and they aren’t amused. The recent national attention the drink has earned has prompted University Police to get the word out in College Park about the potential risks, University Police Maj. Chris Jagoe said.
“Law enforcement is very concerned about this,” he said.
Four Loko has been banned at Ramapo College in New Jersey and Central Washington University in Washington state after groups of students at both schools were hospitalized after drinking it. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is reviewing the drink’s safety, and several states are considering outlawing it.
Jagoe said he visited three local stores — College Park Liquors, #1 Liquor and Town Hall Liquors — to pass along some information about Four Loko’s health risks but didn’t ask the store owners to remove it from their shelves. He said he told them: “We’re not investigating, just spreading the word.”
But store owners should be prepared to face extensive media coverage should students be hospitalized after consuming the drink, Jagoe added. He said he doesn’t know of any hospitalizations that have occurred yet.
Jagoe said a manager at #1 Liquor told him the store would stop selling the drink, and Sue Lee, who owns College Park Liquors, said Four Loko would soon be off her shelves as well because her distributor is no longer offering it.
“They’re going to ban that stuff,” she said.
Managers at Town Hall and #1 Liquor declined to comment to a reporter. Over the weekend, Four Loko and other similar drinks could be found at all three of the stores.
Jason Scofi, a senior civil engineering major, said he and his friends have Friday night Four Loko parties in his apartment, bringing in the cans by the caseload. He called it “the perfect recipe for everyone to black out.”
“You get drunk so fast,” Scofi said. “If you have one, it’s like the perfect pregame in a can. Two of those, with the alcohol content, is like drinking 12 beers.”
Scofi said even though he knows the risks, he thinks Four Loko itself isn’t directly responsible for sending students to the hospital — people don’t feel drunk right away because of the caffeine, so they tend to overdrink, he said.
“It’s just young, stupid people who overdo it,” he said. “Plus, since it’s a relatively new thing, it’s a lot harder to gauge what effect it will have on you and what your limits are.”
And that’s exactly what has Jagoe so concerned. He said he spoke about the drink to some students who considered themselves frequent drinkers but were still caught off guard by how intoxicated they felt after one can. That sentiment is why he decided to take action, he added.
“Whenever we feel there’s a public safety concern, we need to inform students,” he said. “I’d rather be in front of something than chasing behind it.”
But Scofi said the risks are not great enough to have Four Loko banned.
“I don’t really think it’s fair,” he said. “I mean, you can have a Red Bull and a vodka and have pretty much the same results.”
Others said all the negative press has deterred them from trying the drink, such as junior art history major Miri Friedman, who said she’ll pass.
“I’ll try to stick to safer drinks,” she said.
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