Four Lokos, the infamous drink responsible for many memorable yet hard-to-remember nights for partiers, could be taken off shelves.
According to Food Safety News’ website, Four Loko’s parent company, Phusion Projects LLC, has halted the production of caffeinated alcoholic drinks and agreed to make changes to its marketing plan.
Phusion has been accused of targeting underage drinkers and promoting excessive drinking.
With its cheap price, carbonation and 12-percent alcohol content, it is easy to see why a Four Loko is appealing to a younger demographic.
Sophia Napoles, a 22-year-old UF advertising senior, said the first time she had a Four Loko, she only took one sip.
Napoles said she is not a fan of the brand and associates it with people seeking to get obnoxiously drunk.
“The majority of people I know who have drank it have either blacked out, gotten alcohol poisoning, been injured or have been that sloppy kid at the party,” she said.
Napoles said she thinks it won’t take long for another Four Loko concoction to hit the market.
But Andrew Moschiano, a 25-year-old UF anthropology senior, said he has already seen similar products.
“I think Snoop Dogg marketed one called Joose,” Moschiano said. “I’d imagine a gimmicky, similar beverage will be out soon.”
Four Lokos were something Moschiano said he enjoyed when he was younger, but now he realizes how harmful they are.
“The first time I had a Four Loko can be summed up as a ‘blackout in a can,’” he said.
Julia Rae Varnes, a GatorWell health promotions specialist, said there are multiple factors that contribute to the dangers of drinking Four Lokos.
Due to the large size and 12-percent alcohol volume, one Four Loko is equivalent to four to six beers. The carbonation also intensifies the drink, Varnes said.
Varnes said she believes Phusion markets this product so heavily to college students due to the misguided concept that drinking in college is normative or expected.
The can’s flashy colors and the drink’s masked taste also make it appealing to more inexperienced drinkers, she said.
“It’s marketed as a single drink, but it’s actually multiple,” Varnes said. “Carbonation increases alcohol consumption so you’ll feel intoxicated more quickly.”
[A version of this story ran on page 8 on 4/3/2014 under the headline "R. I. P. Four Loko: Company to end production, change marketing"]
