University students have continued “living la vida Loko” despite widespread controversy surrounding the inexpensive alcoholic energy beverage produced by Drink Four Brewing Company.
Four Loko, which is packaged in a 23.5-ounce vibrantly colored can, comes in eight flavors, each can containing 12 percent alcohol and as much caffeine as a tall Starbucks coffee, according to Phusion Projects LLC, the company that owns Drink Four.
The name “Four” is derived from the four main ingredients: caffeine, guarana, taurine and alcohol. The “loko” is the feeling a person supposedly gets after consuming the product.
“I’ve only had it a few times,” said Rich Cooper, English graduate student. “They get you drunk and awake.”
Cooper said the drink is inexpensive, averaging about $2 per can, which makes it an ideal product for college-aged students.
But Four Loko has captured the attention of a diverse audience beyond the college campus.
Washington, New York, Michigan, Oklahoma and Utah, along with a number of college campuses, have banned distribution of the product.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Nov. 17 that it warned four companies, including the makers of Four Loko, that the liquor added to their caffeinated beverages was an “unsafe food additive,” and the products could not stay on the market in their current forms.
“[The] FDA does not find support for the claim that the addition of caffeine to these alcoholic beverages is ‘generally recognized as safe,’ which is the legal standard,” Joshua Sharfstein, FDA principal deputy commissioner, said in a news release. “To the contrary, there is evidence that the combinations of caffeine and alcohol in these products pose a public health concern.”
The announcement was released just one day after Phusion said it would reformulate its beverage, extracting the caffeine, guarana and taurine from Drink Four products.
“By taking this action today, we are again demonstrating leadership, cooperation and responsible corporate citizenship,” Phusion said Nov. 16.
Kathy Saichuk, health promotion coordinator at the Student Health Center, said the company took action one step further by contacting the University last week.
Letters were sent to nearly 300 college officials “sharing information about its products, offering financial support for alcohol education efforts, and requesting the opportunity to discuss ways to work together to combat alcohol abuse and underage drinking,” according to a news release by Phusion.
Saichuk said the letter outlined the product’s popularity on college campuses and welcomed communication between the University and the company about product details.
“Responsible alcohol consumption requires cooperation from everyone — federal, state, and local governments, law enforcement, retailers, educators, community leaders, parents and consumers — and us,” the letter says. “As a company and as individuals, we are proud of the work we do to make sure our products are used properly and only by adults of legal drinking age. But we cannot do it alone.”
Saichuk said students are often referred to the Wellness Department to discuss disciplinary action and alcohol responsibility. She said though some students have gotten into trouble because of the product, she thinks Four Loko will just be a phase, and no action will be taken to ban it on campus.
“If you outlaw one, there will be another,” she said. “And most people that come in say they will never try it again.”
Cooper agreed and said he was not a big fan of the product, but he also said he isn’t convinced Four Loko is any more potent than other mixed drinks.
“The biggest difference is the amount of vodka and caffeine in the premade beverages versus someone mixing his or her own drink,” Saichuk said. “The bottom line is alcohol alone is harmful to the human body when consumed in higher
amounts in less time and more frequently.”
Saichuk said refraining from alcohol altogether would be the healthiest thing to do, but that is not the reality for most students.
She said students need to remember the direct correlation that exists between academic success and the number of drinks a person has each week.
“Finals exams and projects are coming up, and it is very important for students to realize the negative effects of alcohol on memory,” she said.
 
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Contact Sydni Dunn at [email protected]