Looking at recent health news online; one particular article caught my attention right away, which was an article about the new alcoholic beverage Four Loko. Four Loko’s are a malt beverage combining caffeine and alcohol in one drink. These drinks have been becoming increasingly popular on college campuses across the country. Recently they have been in the news because of the danger they pose by combing caffeine and alcohol together. A Four Loko contains 12% alcohol and 135 milligrams of caffeine. There have been many reports of students getting alcohol poisoning because of these beverages. They are so dangerous because people do not realize how much alcohol they are consuming because the caffeine tricks your body not allowing it to get sleepy like it normally would. One doctor in the article said this was one of the most dangerous alcohol drinks they had ever seen. With Four Loko’s being under a lot of scrutiny lately the Food and Drug Administration is reviewing whether or not this drink is safe. Many states have looked into banning the beverage but no legislation has passed yet. Another issue with these drinks is that many people say they are targeted towards underage drinking because the can is colorful and looks similar to energy drinks. The appeal to college students are that they are very inexpensive being sold at $2.50 for a 23.5 ounce can. I thought this article was very interesting because these drinks have become very popular here at Westfield
I find this information very perplexing. I am not the traditional student and these evergy drinks were not around when I was in school. Now that I am an adult with young adults of my own, I do not promote or understand the use of something that is going to change the chemistry of the body with artificial means. People need to understand the value of healthy choices and the energy the proper food and exercise can bring. I find exercise to unleash and enable my thoughts and memory so they are clearer and more accessable. Thank you for the information Julie.
ReplyDeleteI think this article is interesting because I myself had tried the four loko beverage and did become more intoxicated then I was expecting. I have done research myself on this drink because it is so popular and there are so many rumors going around about it being baned. One article I read called the drink "black out in a can" because so many people experience memory loss when they drink them. I know several of my friends who have personally blacked out from this drink and think that people need to be careful if they do drink them.
ReplyDeleteThis article is a good one to read. I believe all college students should be aware of four loko's consequences. Some of my friends drink these. I have tried a sip and I find them to be disgusting. Many college students want to become "wasted" to have a good time. For me, I like to drink an alcolholic beverage I am actually going to enjoy. I would not spend money on something that I wouldn't even like. Also, the calories in one can exceeds 700 calories, so people should also be aware of that.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't surprised to see that four lokos were going to becaome canned, at least until the caffine is taken out of them. However, before they took them out of stores i decided to try one, and found no difference in my drunkeness, except the fact that i felt much more awake. Although i have heard some crazy stories, it just didnt effect me in that way.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting how they banned four lokos because people still can mix other alcohol beverages with energy drinks such as vodka and redbull and they will still feel the same effects when they drink a lot of it. I do believe it is pretty dangerous because there is so much caffeine in one of those cans. We will see if more states will ban four lokos.
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