Four Loko

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Four Loko: We Won't Use Santa in Our Ads

And, more importantly, won't market on campuses

(Newser) - Amid controversy over its combination of caffeine and alcohol, the makers of Four Loko announced it was dropping caffeine from the equation in 2010. But authorities weren't finished with Phusion Projects: Now, the company has agreed to a raft of new marketing rules, the Los Angeles Times reports. The...

22-Year-Old Sues: Four Loko Damaged My Heart

Jersey man sues company after doctors tell him of permanent harm

(Newser) - A 22-year-old New Jersey man is suing the company that produces Four Loko, arguing the caffeinated alcoholic drink permanently damaged his heart. Michael Mustica was rushed to a hospital after suffering heart arrhythmia when he drank more than two cans of Four Loko last year. Doctors told him he suffered...

Four Loko, Drugs Found Alongside 2 Dead Teens

Police suspect overdose killed boy, girl

(Newser) - Four Loko might be banned, but it's still showing up in sketchy situations: Police in California's Huntington Beach found the bodies of two teenagers—a boy and a girl, aged 15 and 16—surrounded by drug refuse, beer bottles, and one can of the infamous alcoholic energy drink, the...

Craigslist Dumps Four Loko Ads

Black-market Loko-sellers busted

(Newser) - Caffeinated booze enthusiasts trying to get their hands on America's dwindling supply of original-recipe Four Loko shouldn't bother looking on Craigslist. The site has pulled ads selling Four Loko nationwide, according to a New York state senator who wrote to Craigslist to complain. eBay says listings for Four Loko aren't...

Four Loko Recycled Into Fuel Ethanol

Widely banned drink proves useful after all

(Newser) - With Four Loko banned in many states and being voluntarily pulled from shelves in others, there's quite a few cans of the stuff lying around in warehouses around the US. What to do with it all? Wholesalers from a number of southern states have been converting their excess stock into...

Officials in Lather Over Alcoholic Whipped Cream

'Whipahol' trend worries regulators

(Newser) - With Four Loko and other alcoholic energy drinks vanquished, regulators are now casting a wary eye on another hot booze trend: alcoholic whipped cream. Boston-area retailers say the 30-proof "whipahol" creams, which come in flavors like chocolate, cherry, vanilla, and caramel, have been flying off the shelves, NECN reports....

FDA Declares Alcoholic Energy Drinks 'Unsafe'

Federal government may seize them

(Newser) - The FDA has declared alcoholic energy drinks unsafe for consumption, and warned companies that the federal government may seize them if they don’t switch to decaf. Regulators have sent warning letters to Charge Beverages, New Century Brewing, United Brands, and Phusion Projects, the makers of Four Loko, Bloomberg reports....

Four Loko Losing the Caffeine
 Four Loko Losing the Caffeine 
Nov 17, 2010 2:43 AM CST

Four Loko Losing the Caffeine

Makers change recipe ahead of FDA crackdown

(Newser) - The embattled makers of Four Loko are changing the recipe of the drink nicknamed "blackout in a can." The alcohol is staying, but the drink will no longer contain caffeine, guarana, and taurine—three of the "Four" in its name. The move comes as the FDA prepares...

Michigan Bans Four Loko Across State

Other places may follow suit

(Newser) - Michigan has banned Four Loko and other caffeinated alcoholic beverages statewide, the Chicago Tribune reports. It's apparently the first state to do so, but politicians and school officials across the country are also taking aim: City councilmen in Chicago proposed a ban this week, Pennsylvania's liquor commission has asked retailers...

Four Loko Numbers Add Up to Trouble

Controversial drinks has a potent punch

(Newser) - The Huffington Post weighs in on the controversy over Four Loko with a breakdown of numbers related to the caffeinated drink nicknamed "blackout in a can."
  • 2: Number of college campuses that have banned it.
  • 4: Number of cans of light beer with the equivalent alcohol in one
...

FDA Reviews Potent Drinks After College Scare

Caffeinated, alcoholic beverages under scrutiny

(Newser) - The FDA is investigating the safety of high-caffeine, high-alcohol drinks amid calls to ban them entirely, the AP reports. Responding to an incident in which nine college freshmen were hospitalized for alcohol poisoning after drinking Four Loko, Washington state's attorney general called the drinks a "serious threat to public...

Caffeinated Booze Prompts State Probes

AGs said to be concerned over deceptive marketing

(Newser) - State attorneys general are taking a hard look at increasingly popular caffeinated alcohol beverages amid fears the combination is dangerous and targeted at underage drinkers, the Wall Street Journal reports. The AGs are calling for company records from the makers of Joose and Four Loko. At 7-Eleven, Joose has had...

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