Many students have heard of Four Loko, even if they themselves do not drink it.

Four Loko is an alcoholic energy drink nicknamed “blackout in a can” due to its ability to make consumers nauseous and experience blackout moments – slight memory loss due to intoxication and caffeine highs – according to www.jointogether.com.

Four Loko was first created in Ohio in 2006 by three graduates of Ohio State University, according to www.hubpages.com. The drink comes in eight flavors and the name Four Loko comes from the four main ingredients: alcohol, caffeine, taurine and guarana.

While this drink contains the same amount of sugar, caffeine and taurine as many other energy drinks (such as Monster, Amp and Rockstar), Four Loko outranks these drinks by also containing a large amount of alcohol. An average can of Four Loko is 16 oz. and contains about the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee, as well as 12% alcohol, which is more than three beers. All of this added up is about 450 calories per 16 oz. can, which is the same amount of calories found in a double cheeseburger from McDonalds.

Consuming one of these drinks may be dangerous, but many students consume more than one on a ‘party night.’

“[It] appeals to those who are risk-takers,” Director of the Student Health Center Linda Roeder said. “Some people just can’t get enough of what they are seeking from mainstream products and activities.”

Roeder went on about Four Loko, saying that the combination of alcohol and caffeine has been around forever but has recently become dangerous because of the larger sizes of drinks and even larger quantities of alcohol and caffeine. Drinkers get drunk quickly without feeling it because of the caffeine, which makes people feel ‘in control’ even though they are not.

The dangers surrounding this drink is one of national concern. The Food and Drug Administration, in a Nov. 17 news release, stated,”Experts have raised concerns that caffeine can mask some of the sensory cues individuals might normally rely on to determine their level of intoxication.”

It went on to say that many studies done among peers found that the consumption of beverages with such high caffeine and alcohol contents were found to be connected with precarious behavior and life-threatening situations. This news release can be found on www.fda.gov.

The FDA also stated that these drinks were dangerous and if the four companies making these drinks did not alter the products, the FDA could take possible action against them.

Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, principal deputy commissioner of the FDA, released a statement about alcoholic energy drinks in conjunction with the press release.

“FDA does not find support for the claim that the addition of caffeine to these alcoholic beverages is ‘generally recognized as safe,’ which is the legal standard,” Sharfstein said. “To the contrary, there is evidence that the combinations of caffeine and alcohol in these products pose a public health concern.”

According to www.oceancitytoday.net, the FDA’s warning and decision to take possible action came after several college students from Central Washington University were hospitalized after drinking Four Loko.

The site also had testimonial from a customer buying Four Loko, who said that he wanted to stock up on the drink before it was banned.

Four Loko has been banned in Michigan, Washington, New York and Utah. Other states are beginning to ban new shipments of the product.

However, Four Loko has not been nationally banned yet. If manufactures of the product remove the caffeine from it, it may still be sold legally.

Roeder hopes that students will heed her warning.

“If you were one of those who planned ahead by stocking up on Four Loko before it was pulled from the shelves, please think again and don’t drink it.”

K2 Incense

According to its official website, K2 is incense that is “a unique and proprietary blend of natural botanicals, certain herbs and synthetic ingredients. Together they form the ultimate mixture for enhanced meditation and other rituals.”

Unfortunately, because K2 is legal incense, many people, including college students, have been buying it for up to $35 an ounce and using it as a type of “fake marijuana” to smoke and get high off of.

The Drug Enforcement Administration has never approved this substance for human consumption.

As of Nov. 24, K2 has been temporarily banned in the United States, according to a press release in Washington.

“Over the past year, smokable herbal blends marketed as being ‘legal’ and providing a marijuana-like high, have become increasingly popular, particularly among teens and young adults,” the DEA said in a statement, addressing why they used their emergency powers to ban the substance.

“These products consist of plant material that has been coated with research chemicals that mimic THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, and are sold at a variety of retail outlets, in head shops and over the Internet.”

Roeder describes the smoking of K2 as scary.

“It seems that smoking it [K2] was a widespread activity,” Roeder said.

“It was actually created as part of a scientific study on marijuana. The recipe made it into the wrong hands and was sold on the open market.”

This is a frightening situation when people are so desperate for a new way to get high that they experiment with smoking substances which are labeled not to be used in that way,” she said.

Roder cited the website www.helpthemknow.com, which says that the side effects of K2 include rapid heart rates, elevated blood pressure, severe agitation, anxiety, vomiting and hallucinations.

The actions the DEA took make it illegal for any manufacturer or consumer to own the five chemicals that it takes to make K2 products, according to www.usatoday.com. The Department of Health and Human Services will now determine whether these chemicals should be permanently added to the list of prohibited substances that are considered unsafe.

“The American public looks to the DEA to protect its children and communities from those who would exploit them for their own gain,” said DEA acting administrator Michele Leonhart in the press release.

The official website for K2 states “We recommend burning K2 Incense in a well ventilated area.”

Responses

Now that the banning has begun, many people are speaking out, whether it is for or against the restriction of these products.

“I was very happy that Four Loko and K2 have both been banned,” Roeder said. “There have been enough instances with each of them which have led to deaths, that it was important to ban them.

“There will always be these people seeking new highs and finding new substances to abuse,” she said, “but for now, at least two popularly misused products are off the shelves.”

Junior John Anderson expertly weighed in on the Four Loko controversy, having enjoyed many cans of the beverage.

“I can talk about Four Loko since I used to drink them very frequently,” Anderson said.

“I liked Four Loko because of the energy rush that you got from them. They made you feel like you could do anything, which I’ve seen firsthand can get you into a lot of trouble.”

Anderson also talked about the mixture of caffeine and alcohol and how it makes students feel hyper instead of drunk.

“First time drinkers or even people that drink consistently would drink Loko for the first time,” Anderson said, “finish it and not feel the alcohol, so they drink another one and have a couple beers or shots and then completely black out or make a fool out of themselves or, even worse, get alcohol poisoning.

“With this in mind,” Anderson said, “even though I’ve been drinking Four Loko as my beverage of choice for over a year and have spent over 100 dollars collectively on [them], I support the banning of them. The product drives people to drink more and more, way past what they can handle.”

Anderson also gave his opinion on K2, although he has never tried it.

“Even though I don’t have experience with K2,” he said, “my opinion is it should be legal. It has not been linked to the blatant mishandling like Four Loko has been.

“The only reason why states feel it should be banned is because of the close similarity it has with marijuana, which is a totally different argument…one which, in my opinion, holds no water.”

Roeder disagrees, however, and urges students to remember that while this is a college experience and students can feel wild and crazy right now, to use everything in moderation.

“I would encourage students to be cautious when it comes to exposing yourself to new substances,” Roeder said.

“It is important to know what you are putting into your body and what the consequences may be. Don’t accept something from a “friend” without knowing what it is.”

Roeder said that altering one’s senses with alcohol or drugs is appealing to many people, but she encourages restraint.

“Losing control of your actions, your anger, and your inhibitions usually leads to trouble with your friends, your family, the University and maybe even the law,” she said. “Is it really worth all that?”