A single can of an alcoholic energy drink is the equivalent of three beers and eight cups of coffee combined. Four Loko, Joose, Tilt, and Sparks are just a couple of brands of alcoholic energy drinks you may know.
Alcoholic energy drinks have become one of the most popular alcoholic beverages for minors. They look like regular energy drinks and have fruity tastes that cover the taste of the large amount of alcohol in the drink.
Most of these drinks have anywhere from 9% to 12% of alcohol, which is about three times the average amount in a beer.
The drinks are sold in gas stations and convenience stores at low prices, which is easily accessible for teens that are looking to get drunk quickly and for a cheap price.
“Once you start to drink one, you feel so good that it makes you want to drink more and more until you’re really drunk and you don’t even know how you got like that” commented a junior at WHBHS.
Unfortunately, within the last year the popularity of these drinks have caused many people to become hospitalized or even die. The amount of alcohol in a 23-ounce aluminum can can get people more drunk than they realize and the stimulants and caffeine only make people want to drink more instead of becoming tired and stopping. The combination of a stimulant (caffeine) and a depressant (alcohol) is called a synergism, which amplifies the affect of each drug.
When drinking alcoholic energy drinks, people lose their sense of decision-making and coordination. People usually non-consciously binge drink while having one of these drinks. The caffeine and alcohol combination has lead to many people going into cardiac arrest during their sleep after consuming an alcoholic energy drink. These situations have caused many deaths and hospitalizations of many young people.
Four Lokos and other alcoholic energy drinks have been banned in several states and are still being investigated by the FDA.
“Blackout in a can” Sound fun and refreshing? I’d think not.