Controversial Drink Unsafe According to FDA

The controversy surrounding energy drinks mixed with alcohol is building up steam and many people would like to see the drinks off the shelf forever. College students across the country have been consuming potentially dangerous drinks like Four Loko because of how strong they are and how fast they can get a person drunk. Last month nine students from a central Washington college were hospitalized after consuming Four Loko, which has caused college campuses across the country to raise an eye regarding the drinks. On Wednesday, the FDA announced that it has warned four companies about their “unsafe food additive" - meaning the addition of caffeine into alcoholic malt beverages and said that further action could be warranted including seizure of their products under federal law.

Last week, The New York State Liquor Authority banned the distribution of Four Loko within the state of New York - New York Senator Charles Schumer had been lobbying the FDA to ban alcohol infused energy drinks all together nationwide. These drinks are extremely dangerous and people who drink them generally have one goal in mind, achieving black-out status. Young adults typically do not like the taste of alcohol; however, drinks like Four Loko come in a multitude of fruity flavors that are pleasing to the pallet.

New York is the first state, but, there will definitely be more who jump on the wagon and ban drinks like Four Loko statewide. Alcohol companies need to stop trying to appeal to a younger audience, fruity flavored mixed alcohol drinks in a can will only lead people towards addiction.

The companies involved in the “effective ban” are:

• Charge Beverages Corp.: Core High Gravity HG, Core High Gravity HG Orange, and
  
• Lemon Lime Core Spiked



• New Century Brewing Co., LLC: Moonshot



• Phusion Projects, LLC (doing business as Drink Four Brewing Co.): Four Loko



• United Brands Company Inc.: Joose and Max