Four Loko -- the popular carbonated alcoholic drink being chugged on college campuses -- will change its alcohol facts panel to warn revelers that the drink contains the equivalent of four to five beers worth of alcohol.
Under the threat of an FDA ban, the makers of alcoholic energy drink Four Loko are changing its recipe to remove caffeine, guarana and taurine. But the only problem a ban of Four Loko would solve is to save young people from thinking they have personal responsibility for their choices -- again.
Four Loko is popular new drink facing a growing backlash. One 24-ounce can provides the alcoholic kick of four beers and the caffeine buzz of a cup of coffee, a combination college students seem drawn to, which is why some states have banned it. But that's taking America's already flawed alcohol policies too far.
The cable network has a novel liquor-store marketing campaign tied to Canadian Club whiskey for its Prohibition-era drama Boardwalk Empire. Some critics fear it may have an influence on an unintended audience: children and young adults.
Health ministers agreed that binge drinking and excessive alcohol use should be curbed through taxes and marketing rules, especially those aimed at young people. But a nonbinding resolution can't compete with industry's embrace of YouTube and social media to reach out to youth.
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