Colleges around Boston sent out emails to students this week warning them that the alcoholic beverage Four Loko, described as a “blackout in a can,” can have dangerous side effects.
The alcoholic beverage is composed of four main ingredients, thus giving it the name “Four” Loko, including caffeine, taurine, guarana and either 6 or 12 percent alcohol depending on state regulations.
Recently, the drink has been put in the spotlight as it becomes clearer that alcohol and caffeine can have dangerous side effects when combined.
A spokesperson at Northeastern University confirmed that the university had sent out an email to all students warning them of the effects of Four Loko and urging them not to drink them.
Jennifer Anderson, a spokeswoman at Harvard University Health Services, said that Harvard sent out an email to its undergraduates as well.
“By now, many of you have surely heard about Four Loko, an alcoholic energy
drink,” the email began. “One 23.5 ounce can of Four Loko is the equivalent of six standard drinks and five cups of coffee.”
One of the main problems with the combination is that the caffeine in the beverage keeps the drinker more alert so that they may not be fully aware of the full effects of the alcohol and as a result, may drink far more than they normally would, thus resulting in more hospitalizations, the email said.
The email was written by Health Services Director David Rosenthal and Ryan Travia, director of Alcohol and Other Drug Services at Harvard Health Services.
However, students remain skeptical of the attention focused on Four Loko, particularly in the wake of Central Washington University and Ramapo College in New Jersey temporarily banning the drink after some students who drank the beverage had been hospitalized.
“The Four Lokos can certainly be damaging to a person’s health,” said Louis Coppersmith, a freshman at Harvard University. “I do not think there is much of a benefit of having it, but I think colleges would run into a lot of problems banning it.”
“When you do not drink in moderation, and drink in excessive amounts, like any drink it can be harmful to your health,” said Mariesa Cote, a freshman at Northeastern University. “If they decided to ban it, why not ban everything else then, why just one specific drink.”
At Boston University, Student Health Services Director David McBride and Thomas Robbins, Boston University Police Department chief, similarly sent out an email warning students of the drink.
“Alcohol companies are targeting college students with these products without regard for your safety,” McBride and Robbins wrote.
“We strongly recommend that you steer clear of these types of drinks and from mixing alcohol with other caffeine containing beverages,” they added. “We also recommend that you avoid mixing other substances with alcohol as a general rule.”
Some students say that though the warnings meant well, they may have the opposite effect on college students.
“Even if they ban Four Lokos, kids will find a way to get them anyways,” said Matt Pereira, a junior at Boston University. “It is damaging to a person’s health but so is drinking any alcohol.”
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