Mixing caffeine and alcohol is nothing new. For decades, a Jack and Coke, or more recently a vodka Red Bull, is something you could ask any bartender in America for. Why is it, then, that caffeinated drinks like the now-infamous Four Loko were banned? What makes them different than what we’ve been doing for years? There are a few factors to the controversial ban of caffeinated alcohol, and depending on who you ask, you might hear a different story. No matter how it’s spun, these drinks posed a unique danger, especially to those most vulnerable.
Four Loko became popular in late 2008, and exploded in popularity among college students nationwide. The drink came in a variety of “fun” flavors like lemonade and fruit punch, making it very appealing to those who didn’t enjoy the taste of traditional beer or alcohol. While the drink appeared fruity and fun on the outside, the real danger was on the inside. The 24 oz cans could have up to 14{b340406b661c1e5732b86e4172a84f651d0df9d8967334cfa4a3aae0d4c8bfbd} alcohol by volume. On top of that, they contained the caffeine equivalent of 3 cups of coffee. Four Loko attempted to capitalize on the growing trend of energy drinks by providing a beverage that had a great deal of caffeine and other vitamins and minerals with added alcohol. However, they didn’t foresee the danger that came with it.
Alcohol is a natural depressant, meaning it slows the body down over time. However, caffeine is the polar opposite, and is a stimulant that increases blood flow in the body. When combined, caffeine negates the depressant effect, meaning it can be difficult to tell just how intoxicated an individual is, and might prevent them from slowing down their alcohol consumption. This proved to be the case in the worst of ways. Those who drank these beverages were twice as likely to be involved in a nonconsensual sexual act, or to drive with someone who had been drinking. The danger of Four Loko came to public attention when multiple cases were reported around the country of rampant alcohol poisoning and the drink was labeled a “blackout in a can.”
The drink was banned shortly thereafter, and more restrictions were put in place to ban drinks like this in the future. Many believed that this combination was harmless, and blamed the media outcry for hyping the drink to be more dangerous than it actually was. However, the drink was aggressively marketed to and consumed by young drinkers, many of them underage, and the statistics that followed don’t lie. It’s unlikely we’ll ever see another drink like this in the future, and that’s for the best. Four Loko was incredibly dangerous, and serves as an important lesson for mixing alcohol with caffeine. Drinking doesn’t always have to be dangerous, but with caffeine, it almost always is.
