If you're drinking in moderation, you may think to yourself that you are just having "a drink to relax." Or having a drink with dinner. Either way, it's doubtful you would reach over for any of the alcoholic energy drinks currently on the market, and as of this month banned at Ramapo College in New Jersey.
The cause of the ban? 23 alcohol related hospitalizations (as of October 1) since school started. A high number and out of the ordinary for Ramapo, they found that a few of the students were in the hospital as a result of an "energy alcohol drink" called Four Loko.
Four Loko is part of a trend of alcoholic drinks known in some spheres as alcopops (and that tells you something right there doesn't it!). Among the first of the alcopops was Sparks, a drink produced by Miller Brewing Company. Sparks varied from between 6-8% alcohol
zanaflexhome content and aside from that contained a great deal of caffeine, taurine, ginseng and guarana along with syrupy, fruity flavors. Not exactly something that will be served to you by a sommelier, Sparks became popular among college students and young professionals as a way of staying alert while binge drinking. This got it branded as a health hazard, as it dulled the user's awareness of their state (and increased dehydration) and eventually MillerCoors redeveloped it and removed the caffeine. These days Sparks is a shadow of its former self, and no longer retains the same stimulants (or popularity) that it once had.
This is not the case for Four Loko. As demonstrated by the
AP, Four Loko is quite potent - the alcohol content is 12%, and it contains the staples of other non-alcoholic energy drinks: caffeine, taurine, and guarana. It has been called "liquid cocaine," is extremely cheap, and can lead to blackouts unexpectedly quickly (see the
Reading Eagle for more). It also doesn't help that its twice the size of a can of beer at almost 24 ounces, and generally only 2 to 3 dollars.
If increased hospitalization rates and unexpected blackouts (as well as a Facebook group 67000 strong dedicated to this issue) have not yet convinced you this drink might be trouble, consider that drinking 1 can is equivalent to drinking 4 beers. That's a lot of power in one can - and it's masked by its deceptive size (all that in just one can?), taste (generally some fruity flavor) and caffeine. You'll think you're okay, but you'll be much drunker than you think. A study in
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research cited by Time found that people who drink energy alcohol drinks think their motor coordination is better than those who do not have energy supplements in their drinks, a combination that can obviously be dangerous. Perception versus reality has always been a problem with alcohol (that's why we sell
alcohol test kits !) but more so with these drinks. Let's not forget caffeine is a drug too!
In sum, Four Loko and the like are not your average alcoholic beverages - cheaper, more sugary, and potentially more likely to provide a nasty hangover (or worse). Exercise caution and remember that a mixture of caffeine and alcohol is not a great combination.
Picture of Sparks (pre-reformulation) uncredited via
Times Union Blog