Nine college students from Central Washington University were hospitalized earlier this month after drinking cans of Four Loko. The high-alcohol energy drink is under scrutiny nationwide, with state Attorney General Rob McKenna calling for a ban on the beverage.
CWU President James L. Gaudino held a news conference on Monday to bring attention to what he considers a dangerous product. He said: “It’s time to bring an end to the sale of alcoholic energy drinks. They’re marketed to kids by using fruit flavors that mask the taste of alcohol, and they have such high levels of stimulants that people have no idea how inebriated they really are.”
Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire also issued a statement on Monday saying she supported a measure to ban caffeinated malt liquors that died in the Legislature last year. The bill didn’t make it out of the Senate rules committee. Gregoire is calling on the liquor board to continue working on a “solution.”
A 23.5-ounce can of Four Loko has an alcohol content of 12 percent and retails for $2.50. The caffeine in the drink can actually suspend the effects of alcohol consumption, causing a person to consume more before feeling drunk.
At a party of 50 students in Roslyn, Washington on October 8, nine students ranging in age from 17 to 19 were hospitalized with blood alcohol levels of .12 to .35 percent.
Last month, 23 intoxicated students were hospitalized at New Jersey’s Ramapo College. That institute has since banned the product from campus.
The Today Show featured a segment on the fast growing problem. Check it out on video below: