Why the Feds Banned Four Loko (And is your favorite drink next?)
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Uploaded by ReasonTV on Dec 22, 2010
On December 21, Ramiro Diaz was arrested for selling eight cans of Four Loko to an undercover agent from the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Diaz faces up to a year in jail for the offense, but just a few months ago Four Loko was perfectly legal. What happened?
The drink had been the subject of many media reports which suggested that Four Loko's mixture of alcohol and caffeine causes young people to engage in risky behavior. The drink was even dubbed "Blackout in a Can," and the story soon moved from newsrooms to Congress, where officials like Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) demanded that it be pulled from shelves.
"We must protect children from the severe and deadly consequences of drinks like Four Loko," declared Schumer. The Food and Drug Administration agreed, and in November federal regulators banned Four Loko. The company promised to yank it from shelves by December and replace it with a decaffeinated version.
So do drinks like Four Loko pose a unique danger to America's youth or is this episode more proof that that mixing media and politics can be hazardous to your freedom?
"Why the Feds Banned Four Loko" is written and produced by Paul Detrick. Camera by Alex Manning, Hawk Jensen and Jim Epstein. Senior Producer is Ted Balaker. Music by Beight, DJ Cary, CrimsonFaced and Sophia Marie (Magnatune Records).
Approximately 3:30 minutes.
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- 539 likes, 9 dislikes
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@awsomedude352
black market or a lot of other drinks to replace four loko would come up.
illmaticjesus 2 weeks ago
tax the living shit out of the company that makes the stuff. the government could sure use the money
awsomedude352 1 month ago
PEOPLE JUST CANT HOLD THEIR SHIT TOGETHER. GO SMOKE A JOINT
DizzerZD1 2 months ago
ive tried four loko before the caffeine was banned and it wasnt any different from any other beverage i have tried. sure it fucks you up, but honestly ive seen worse things happen from people drinking 151 proof liquor and even just cheap wine/malt liquor. just goes to show what a bullshit world we live in.
dasmushroomcult 2 months ago
I know a thing called Blackout in a bottle.. Usually is Scoth, 12 y/o at least..
Its normal in my country to take that with friends, totally rocks!
ruipedroleite 3 months ago
caffine is poison!!!!!!! NWO depopulation Ban all energy drinks and soft drinks
islamictvdotcom 4 months ago
Go nanny state! We regular folks need you to tell us how to live since we are incapable of making responsible choices.
What a load of crap!
atchisrj1 4 months ago
From my classes in Abnormal Psychology, I do remember very clearly the professor telling us that the most dangerous mixture of drugs were Xanthines (caffeine, cocaine, etc.) and alcohol. Of all the mixtures of drugs, if you, for example, do some coke then drink some liquor, you are at risk of definitely passing away quicker than you might expect.
jbearden 4 months ago
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.
devyvalentino 4 months ago
Just make marijuana legal... It is so much safer.
xxGAMRxx 5 months ago 2