Why the Feds Banned Four Loko (And is your favorite drink next?)

[Dokkie]

Run time: 03:26 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-dShFXNsz4   Posted on YouTube: December 22, 2010 By YouTube Member: ReasonTV Views on YouTube: 8945   Posted on DU: December 23, 2010 By DU Member: Dokkie Views on DU: 1103

 
On December 21, Ramiro Diaz was arrested for selling eight cans of Four Loko to an undercover agent from the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Diaz faces up to a year in jail for the offense, but just a few months ago Four Loko was perfectly legal. What happened?

The drink had been the subject of many media reports which suggested that Four Loko's mixture of alcohol and caffeine causes young people to engage in risky behavior. The drink was even dubbed "Blackout in a Can," and the story soon moved from newsrooms to Congress, where officials like Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) demanded that it be pulled from shelves.

"We must protect children from the severe and deadly consequences of drinks like Four Loko," declared Schumer. The Food and Drug Administration agreed, and in November federal regulators banned Four Loko. The company promised to yank it from shelves by December and replace it with a decaffeinated version.

So do drinks like Four Loko pose a unique danger to America's youth or is this episode more proof that that mixing media and politics can be hazardous to your freedom?

"Why the Feds Banned Four Loko" is written and produced by Paul Detrick. Camera by Alex Manning, Hawk Jensen and Jim Epstein. Senior Producer is Ted Balaker. Music by Beight, DJ Cary, CrimsonFaced and Sophia Marie (Magnatune Records).

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Sooo..why hasn't the FDA made tobacco illegal????????

[DefenseLawyer]

2. Why hasn't Rum & Coke caused a similar catastrophe?

or Irish Coffee? All the sudden alcohol and caffeine cause madness and death? Hmmmmm......

[TygrBright]

3. Actually, if each of those beverages were offered in a large can...

...and priced cheaply, and aggressively marketed to teens and twenty-somethings as the perfect party drink, we'd probably see those products sharply regulated and/or banned as well.

There's considerably more to it than just the combination of caffeine and alcohol.

helpfully,
Bright

[DefenseLawyer]

4. Thanks for looking out for me.

Hopefully we can ban enough things to make the world safe for everyone.

[NYMdaveNYI]

9. Danger level of Redbull + Vodka = Danger level of Fourloko

Difference?

Redbull and Vodka, unlike Fourloko, are NOT sold in the same, 24 oz can.

[AsahinaKimi]

5. "We must protect children from the severe and deadly consequences of drinks like Four Loko"

Wait, since when was it legal for those under 21 to be able to drink? What a stupid statement.

[NYMdaveNYI]

6. I call bullshit.

A glass of rum & coke is nowhere near as dangerous as a 24 fl oz., 12% alcohol by volume, deadly concoction of taurine, guarana, caffeine, and booze.

Yes, mixing Redbull and Vodka –- yielding that same mixture of guarana, taurine, caffeine, and alcohol -- is equally dangerous; HOWEVER, these two substances ARE NOT SOLD IN THE SAME, JUMBO-SIZED CAN, LIKE FOURLOKO.

WHY?

BECAUSE IT’S F**KING DEADLY.

Senator Schumer, and the NYS Liquor Authority made the right move by getting this out of our state.

-----

BULLLLLLSSSSSSSSHIT, reason.tv

[toastbutter]

7. it's a bullshit ban

but not surprising.

[NYMdaveNYI]

8. What do you mean? nt

[jeanmarc]

11. I'm alright with its ban

I tried it, after having just a few drinks, and it's the equivalent of drinking a six pack of bud light with just two 12 ounce servings. It will knock you out.

Can't imagine drinking two of these, as I'm sure is likely with kids.

[Charleston Chew]

10. I encourage you

I encourage everyone to read the text comments on the YouTube page.