After much controversy surrounding the caffeinated canned booze Four Loko, several states have banned new shipments of the alco-pop to your beloved local convenience stores.If you're still unsure what Four Loko is (we gave you the 411 on it last month), it's a sweet, fruit-flavored malt beverage made up of alcohol, caffeine, taurine and guarana.
College towns and campuses all over the U.S. have considered bans on sales of Four Loko after many incidents of college kids acting the fool after one too many "lemonades." But Capitol Hill has also taken notice, and many representatives have already moves to ban the drink.
Before anyone got sick from Four Loko, Utah already banned sales of it, because that's how they roll. Michigan soon followed, putting the ban into effect on Nov. 5. The Michigan Liquor Control Commission is giving manufacturers of all alcoholic energy drinks 30 days to remove all their products from stores.
Oklahoma officially stopped shipments of Four Loko into the state on Nov. 3, but isn't prohibiting sales of the drink. However, the state's Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission makes one thing clear: "Once it's gone, it's gone."
New York senator Charles E. Schumer not only called the State Liquor Authority to stop Four Loko sales on Nov. 10, but now all shops have a week to clear the product from their shelves. (Get it while you can, kids.) Washington's ban on the refreshment will take effect on Nov. 18, the state's shops have one week to clear cases and cases of the popular "blackout in a can."
North Carolina, Rhode Island and Kansas are currently taking a "deep look" into Four Loko's contents and are considering to ban it completely as well. However, it's not official just yet.
Although Illinois hasn't enforced the ban as a state, Chicago has decided to start the ball rolling on a citywide ban. And the City Council is also open to listening to proposals that will stop bartenders from even serving Red Bull and vodka, which opens up a whole other can of caffeinated worms.
Time will only tell if Four Loko will be off shelves in every store in America, and if then they'll come after our rum and cokes. If only Congress were so quick to mobilize about relevant issues.












Comments:
Add a comment
Tuesday 16 November
By Laura
Why don't we start with cigarettes first? I'm pretty there's more people out there dying from lung cancer than their Four Loko addiction.
Reply
Wednesday 17 November
By shaina
personally, I think this is totally silly. is four loco bad for you? YES. is it going to kill you? probably not, unless you're really stupid with it. are you going to die of the worst hangover of your life the next day? well, that's never happened to me. banning this is silly. mixing uppers and downers is silly, but that doesn't stop me from having a red bull before I go out--or even mixing my red bull and alcohol. no, it's not good for you, but we shouldn't ban them. people who drink four loko (or smoke cigarettes!) know what they're doing is bad for their bodies, and yet they do that anyway. people should be able to make their own decisions about this, and I think congress stepping in is absurd.
Reply
Wednesday 17 November
By shizz
The big reason this ban is happening is because people are too stupid to understand what 12% alcohol means. people don't know their limits and foolishly think because it tastes fruity, that somehow it doesn't have the 12% that is very clearly printed on the can. another example of this stupid country having to be parented by the government
Reply
Wednesday 17 November
By shizz
The big reason this ban is happening is because people are too stupid to understand what 12% alcohol means. people don't know their limits and foolishly think because it tastes fruity, that somehow it doesn't have the 12% that is very clearly printed on the can. another example of this stupid country having to be parented by the government
Reply
Thursday 18 November
By Megaboink
Before four loko kids where blacking out from other alcohol beverage.
instead of inforcing penalty or raisng the penalty fine on liquor stores when sellings to minors, they (gov) plays big brother. might as well give us all a babysitter to wach over us.
what a joke!!
Reply
Thursday 18 November
By Jackie
This government is pathetic. There are bigger things that should definitely be banned and they are going after Four Lokos. Now kids will go out and buy alcohol and mix in an energy drink. It's pointless really.
Reply
Thursday 18 November
By Taylor BLANK
Honestly I will stick to one four loko in a night to make sure I don't black out. Instead of drinking probably the same amount of hard liquor in one sitting. Banning these drinks is stupid. People who die from drinking too many are stupid. Or shouldn't be drinking in the first place if their bodies don't know to puke that shit up. I would get full before I even got through half of another can. It is common knowledge to just drink one anyway. This is just dumb.
Reply
Monday 22 November
By Rebecca
Thanks for your rundown on where states stand. Heads up - as of Monday, Nov. 22, Kansas announced it is banning all flavors of Four Loko, Max, Joose, and Four Maxed, effective Nov. 22.
Reply