Dangerous drinks:Four Loco(Four Loko), Joose, etc.

[kewpie]

I heard on the news the other day: A story about this new drink called Four Loco.
It contains 12% alcohol, plus lots of sugar and caffeine. it is being marked to the teen crowd. People have been getting really sick after drinking this stuff.
After reading that last thread on hazing, I can't help but see more kids dying of alcohol poisoning with drinks like this one!

[bros]

It's an energy drink. I believe it is equivalent to 4-5 shots of vodka

[healthy11]

The following comes from a cbsnews report:
"A Wake Forest University study published last year found that college students who combine alcohol and caffeine are more likely to suffer alcohol-related injuries than students who drink only alcohol.

And student health services are well aware of the potential dangers. Columbia University's student health service website, goaskalice.com says caffeine's stimulating effect can make people less aware of the effects of alcohol. That can cause them to take risks that that they otherwise might not take.

In addition, both caffeine and alcohol are diuretics, so mixing them can cause dehydration. A dehydrated body is slow to process alcohol, and that can interfere with "coordination, balance and ability to regulate body temperature," according to the site."

[michellea]

Hopefully sports teams and fraternities will not get their hands on it.

Why would anyone make this stuff?

[healthy11]

Because there's a market. Kids already mix alcohol into energy drinks like Red Bull or Monster.

[healthy11]

Update: The news just reported that they've identified the cause of the many hospitalizations at a recent Central Washington University party, and it was due to consumption of "Four Loko" a high-caffeine laced alcoholic beverage, that kids also call "Blackout in a Can." news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101026/ap_on_re_us/us_party_overdoses The caffeine prevents students from recognizing when they've had "too much to drink" and they are more likely to suffer alcohol poisoning. www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/06/17/health/main6592444.shtml

[healthy11]

Four Loko has agreed to remove the caffeine from their products, in response to FDA pressure. Other drink manufacturers are apparently still deciding how to respond: www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/health/health-watch-fda-and-four-loko-111810

[empeg1]

Yes, and teens/college students who drink this may not feel the effects of the alcohol due to the caffeine, leading to drinking a whole lot more. Here is CA, the drink was removed from store shelves. Kids are passing out, not just due to dehydration, but due to alcohol poisoning.

[healthy11]

Here's another new article on the topic, and it's not even about energy drinks that combine alcohol with the caffeine: news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110214/ap_on_he_me/us_med_energy_drinks

[healthy11]

Another beverage that people need to be aware of is Blast, which is made by Pabst. It doesn't pretend to be non-alcoholic, but the news said 1 can has as much alcohol as 5 ordinary beers. It comes in flavors such as strawberry lemonade and raspberry watermelon, so it has more "appeal" to kids. online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703983704576277200380649890.html

[michellea]

I saw this on the news last night and we had a family discussion. Seems many Attorneys General are hoping to ban Blast - or at least change the packaging size in an effort to protect underaged and young drinkers. It's 12% alcohol, fruity, carbonated and comes in 22 oz cans. Basically the same alcohol content/concentration as wine, but at less than $3.00 a bottle, and easy to drink taste, much more apt to be abused.

[Mayleng]

If beers and alcohol cannot be sold to underage kids, how can these be?

[healthy11]

I'm afraid it gets into the hands of underage drinkers just like other alcohol...maybe an older kid buys it for friends, etc... Parents need to "beware" of what's out there.

[healthy11]

Here's a new study which makes the point that children and adolescents should also avoid even non-alcoholic energy drinks, like Red Bull and Monster: www.livescience.com/14369-energy-drinks-warning-pediatricians.html

In addition, pediatricians warn in the same article that even sports drinks (like Gatorade and Powerade, which are NOT the same as energy drinks) should still not be consumed regularly by children, unless they're involved in athletics, due to the high caloric content that can contribute to obesity.

[michellea]

re Gatorade - it is very high in calories and sugar. G2 is an option with half the calories - but who knows what else is in it.

My daughter gets dehydrated very easily when playing sports. Her drink of choice is Smart Water - plain old water fortified with electrolytes. She hates the after taste of Gatorade.