The Four Loko drink is one of the hottest discussion topics right now, which you’ve probably figured out already while listening to the radio or seeing it on the nightly news.
Next Monday, the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission of Massachusetts will seek to file an emergency ban to stop the selling of the alcohol-meets-caffeine Four Loko product and similar drinks. If the ban goes through, it will prohibit malt beverages that have alcohol, caffeine and other stimulants in it to be sold.
The hoped-for ban stems from the concerns that the drink poses.First off, Four Loko is a malt drink that is syrupy in texture, even described as cough syrup. To get some perspective on how Four Loko impacts our bodies, it’s similar to drinking “three beers, a can of Red Bull and a shot of espresso.”
Other names for the drink have been reported as “liquid cocaine” and the very concerning “blackout in a can.” Four Loko is packed with a 12 percent alcohol by volume kick (putting it mildly). Despite the unappetizing descriptions and how it sounds like something to drink on a dare rather than by choice, health concerns and sales have gone through the roof.
However, several stores in Massachusetts have already pulled Four Loko off of their shelves out of concerns for the risk of drinking and driving among teenagers. The appeal of the drink to teens is simple mathematics: Lots of alcohol in a can + each can sold for about $3.00 = Getting drunk quickly and inexpensively.
Washington is one of the few states so far that has approved a 4-month emergency ban on the powerful punch, with hopes of a more permanent ban to follow. The state made the decision to take the product out of stores after nine freshman college students were found “dangerously drunk,” with alcohol levels soaring up to 0.35 percent. Police who responded to that scene described it as “chaotic” and thought at first that the freshmen were overdosing on drugs.
We’ll just have to wait and see how the ban will go next week in Massachusetts, so from now until then, please drink responsibly.
When should you contact a Massachusetts car accident attorney?
Has your teenager been seriously injured in a car accident due to drunk driving in Massachusetts? Want to know if you have a case? Want to know what your case is worth? Want justice? Call the Massachusetts car accident lawyers at Kiley Law Group for a free and professional evaluation of your case at 1-800-410-2769.
And while the call is free, the advice may be priceless.
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