Should the FDA ban 4Loko?

[Benja]

What's the alcohol content on that stuff?  Also-  the report I read said that the FDA was considering banning any alcoholic drink with caffiene.  What about all the red bull drinks/shots, all the drinks including cola, etc?

Don't know for sure, but the pig they interviewed on the news(when the oregon chicks got wasted) said it was the equiv to 4-5 beers per can.  Really doesn't seem all that bad.  Something like a really stiff mixed drink?

I have heard that sugar and caffeine both expedite alcohol's effect though and that Loko has a lot of both. 

Haven't tried Loko, but if it really has that much per can, that's a lot more than any of the other energy/alcohol drinks. I can see why there's some controversy.

It's 12% alcohol in a 24 ounce can.  What's the alcohol content of a rum and coke?    <-Which to me is even more dangerous.

a drink = a beer = a glass of wine.  they're all the same.

rum and coke generally doesn't come in 24 oz cans marketed at younger drinkers nor does it come in Grape, Fruit Punch, Orange Blend, Watermelon, Blue Raspberry, Lemon Lime, Lemonade, and Cranberry Lemonade flavors. 

What's the alcohol content on that stuff?  Also-  the report I read said that the FDA was considering banning any alcoholic drink with caffiene.  What about all the red bull drinks/shots, all the drinks including cola, etc?

the FDA is looking at premade drinks that have caffeine in them, not drinks that people put caffeine in. 

 The gov's position on all this should be:  Everyone should stop being rough ridin' stupid, but if you are being rough ridin' stupid don't expect to not have to throw up and go to the hospital.  Also, quit being rough ridin' stupid.

Exactly. I don't see the need for the government to continue wasting time protecting people from their own stupidity. Kind of a Darwin type deal here.

I'd imagine the biggest problem they have is the way that it's marketed.

The problem is that these types of drinks are marketed at kids who really don't know any better and they are dangerous.  More dangerous than a 1.75 of Jack? Yes,  because they are a hell of a lot easier to drink than Jack.   There's really no need for this type of drink to be on the market.

Yeah, that's all true too.

[mcmwcat]

clams, isn't it already illegal for kids to drink?

[pissclams]

clams, isn't it already illegal for kids to drink?

do people not do things that are against the law?  my use of the the term kids in this thread should apply to anyone who doesn't know better.

[michigancat]

[Sugar Dick]

Since they still sell all of the following:





  <---- personal fav

It should not be banned. 

[CNS]

Gov needs to let the existing law stand and work on the marketing or illegal sales issue.  I would argue that the marketing issue is BS.

Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!) to legislate beyond that.

It is illegal for kids to drink as it is.  Anything more will be either redundant or overstepping.  Both of which are Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!).

[mcmwcat]

i've changed my mind.  it's clear that elected officials have nothing better to worry about.  deciding what drinks should be legal and illegal is clearly a priority.

[KSUTOMMY]

I wont touch anything that stimulates and depresses at the same time. There was a dude in my HS who was hammered then did a line of coke and his heart stopped while walking home - I know that is an extreme, but that's my take.

[CNS]

FYI, coke is already illegal too.

Not judging.  But the gov shouldn't have to now add legislation saying that it is illegal to do coke and walk home because that kid did and it didn't turn out well.

Again, doing so would be redundant and Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!).

[pissclams]

that is warranted.  the thing is that I'm against the government overstepping its bounds but I think that alcohol is a really dangerous drug and it probably isn't legislated enough.

[CNS]

we don't need a War on Alcohol. 

We need common sense. 

[Rage Against the McKee]

USA Today says it contains between 6-12% alcohol (by volume) as much caffeine as 5 cups of coffee, and is sold in 23.5 oz cans.  The alcohol content looks like it's about the same as any other malt liqour but that is a ton of caffeine.  eff that cac.

There are a lot of beers available that beat that in a 12oz bottle.  There are some germans that exceed 8-10% w/o taking their pants off.  crap, there is a blueberry beer on the shelf of my small ass town that is over 8%.

Needs to be looked at more closely.  FDA could be F'ing me in the A as far as this leading to things I actually like to drink being taken away.  

Lol if this comes down to caffeine content.  

Being in a smaller bottle does not affect the % alcohol content, only the total amount of alcohol. You would have to drink 2 of those 12 oz beers for it to be comparable to 1 4Loko. I don't know about everyone else, but I usually drink faster when I have a larger serving. This would make the 4Loko more dangerous than drinking 2 of the high content beers. You also have to keep in mind that 4Loko is a fruit-flavored drink that is marketed to people who don't like to taste alcohol in their drinks. These people usually have a lower tolerance than the person who will toss back beers and drink rum and coke. Add in the extremely high amount of caffeine, and you get a pretty dangerous drink.

[Benja]

we don't need a War on Alcohol. 

We need common sense. 

Problem is, many people, especially at young ages, don't have much of the latter.

[Sugar Dick]

Anyone that thinks alcohol is anything more than fun in a bottle, is a f*cking wuss baby mama's boy.  GMAFB.  

If you can't handle the effects of something 12% alcohol by volume, then you won't be able to handle the following and should either kill yourself now or not drink:
Wine
Schnapps/Pucker
Port
Liqueur
Liquor

We need another regulation on the sale of alcohol about as badly as MichiCat needs a second bad person on his forehead.

[CNS]

we don't need a War on Alcohol. 

We need common sense. 

Problem is, many people, especially at young ages, don't have much of the latter.

We cannot legislate against all the stupidity that a teen-aged brain contains.

Parents need to take responsibility a little more.

[jtksu]

I bet Rusty's sig other would love it if he had a 2nd bad person on his forehead.

[Sugar Dick]

clams, isn't it already illegal for kids to drink?

do people not do things that are against the law?  my use of the the term kids in this thread should apply to anyone who doesn't know better.

Your bassackwards logic has cost me the enjoyment of the following spokesman:

 

and done nothing to curtail kids using either product.

[SkinnyBenny]

I really don't get how it is supposedly "marketed" toward kids.  First of all, has anyone seen a 4Loko ad EVER?  Do they have commercials?  Do they have magazine ads?  I haven't seen any, if they do.  I don't think there's any marketing whatsoever.  Do you see the colorful camo can as targeting kids? 

[CNS]

What's funny is that all the recent news has been the best adverts they could have ever wanted.  Kids hearing about something strong enough to knock you out after slamming one or two...just saying it would have been the first thing I wanted to spend my $4 in pocket change on.

[Benja]

we don't need a War on Alcohol. 

We need common sense. 

Problem is, many people, especially at young ages, don't have much of the latter.

We cannot legislate against all the stupidity that a teen-aged brain contains.

Parents need to take responsibility a little more.

Oh, I totally agree. I'm just saying, that's the problem.

[Rage Against the McKee]

I'm not against banning all energy drinks. Specifically targeting 4Loko seems unfair, though.

[steve dave]

chance there would be this big to do if the name wasn't 4Loko?  0%

[Brock Landers]

clams, isn't it already illegal for kids to drink?

do people not do things that are against the law?  my use of the the term kids in this thread should apply to anyone who doesn't know better.

Your bassackwards logic has cost me the enjoyment of the following spokesman:

 

and done nothing to curtail kids using either product.

Any of you old farts remember those Hamm's beer commercials from the 80's?  You know, the ones with the animated bears and stuff??  When I was a little kid I wanted my first beer to be a Hamm's.

[NXL]

Has it killede anyone?  If so, leave it on the market to thin the herd.

[yoga-like_abana]

It is pretty amazing, also the worst hangover I've ever had in my life.