Maryland takes out Four Loko
Maryland becomes the latest state to put the kibosh on Four Loko.
On Wednesday, Comptroller Peter Franchot convinced two Maryland trade groups to stop distributing the alcoholic caffeinated drink to its members, The Sun reports this morning.
Franchot cited the death of Courtney Perry, who Midnight Sun told you about Monday, as a motivating factor in the move.
The Maryland Beer Wholesalers association, a group of 22 businesses that distributes most of the alcohol in the state, agreed to stop importing the drink.
As did its board, which represents about a third of Maryland's roughly 6,000 licensed alcohol stores and bars.
The move comes after the Food and Drug Administration issued letters to beverage makers labeling caffeine as an "unsafe food additive" to alcoholic drinks. And warned the government could seize their products unless the manufacturers pull them or prove their products are safe.
Proving they're safe or unsafe might be difficult to do, seeing as scientists haven't reached a conclusion themselves. For one there's no evidence these drinks are any more unsafe than caffeinated drinks like Red Bull, according to a study by the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University.
And even in that study, researchers said "the relationship between energy-drink use and increased risk of alcohol abuse is not entirely clear." They also acknowledged "causality may go in either direction."
The Maryland trade groups' agreement doesn't force liquor stores to immediately yank the product from their shelves. But prepare to start seeing poorly written "We stop selling Four Loko" signs popping up in stores and bodegas around town.
If you don't know what Four Loko is: "The often fruity drinks are popular among the young, who say they like the way the caffeine mitigates the soporific effects of the alcohol."
Photo: AFP/Getty Images
Erik Maza is a features reporter at the Baltimore Sun. He writes for several sections of the Sun paper and contributes weekly columns on music and nightlife. He also writes and edits the Midnight Sun blog. He often covers entertainment, business, and the business of entertainment. Occasionally, he writes about Four Loko, The Block, the liquor board, and those who practice "
Comments
This begs the question, will the State also seek to ban the mixing of liquor and caffeinated drinks? Rum and coke, Redbull and vodka, Bailey's and coffee, etc.
Aside from the fact that Four Loko is prepackaged, is there really a difference?
Posted by: Ed | November 18, 2010 11:23 AM
A ban on caffeine infused alcoholic beverages will also effectively ban many craft brewed beers made with chocolate, coffee, and other ingredients containing caffeine.
There are 3-5 deaths that may have been caused by FourLoko. 400,000 people (including non-smokers) died last year from exposure to tobacco products. Yet we keep on smoking.
Posted by: Jed | November 18, 2010 12:03 PM
Shocker
Posted by: Evan | November 18, 2010 12:16 PM
Now I will have to pay twice as much to try Four Loko.
Posted by: TS | November 18, 2010 12:44 PM
RE: Jed
We recently posted about the possible effects of this ruling on beer brewed with tea leaves and/or coffee. Click my name for more, including a response from the Brewer's Association.
Posted by: Brad | November 18, 2010 1:04 PM
If they ban Jooce I'm moving to Canada.
Posted by: kateebee | November 18, 2010 1:20 PM
friggin' liberals always laying down and taking it to make a couple people happy.
personal responibiliy people
@Jed- you are absolutely right,
I am now going to go by some Primaten Mist to get my ephedrine fix, pack of smokes, and some Bud Light and Red Bull, and drink til I die and then my family can sue everybody!!! (just jokin')
Posted by: anon;) | November 18, 2010 1:21 PM
Primaten Mist can't help you since the CFC bans rendered us asthmatics helpless with the umm err HFA "safe" inhalers. I said yesterday- bed bugs, stink bugs, no inhalers- I'm gonna switch parties soon.
Posted by: Tif | November 18, 2010 2:35 PM
@Tif- you can buy Primatene mist in tablets now as well as Bronkaid, each tablet has 25mg of ephedrine sulfate, it's not as good as the old Max Alerts, but you gotta do what you gotta do;) Just go to your local WalMart.
Now back to my party!
Posted by: anon;) | November 18, 2010 4:27 PM
Four Loko is a powerful drink!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2siidje4M0
Posted by: frank | November 19, 2010 12:32 AM
@frank-thanks for wasting 6 and 1/2 minutes of my life.
Posted by: jason z | November 19, 2010 8:13 AM
katebee, four loko is illegal in canada and actually has never been distrubuted there
Posted by: avon | November 19, 2010 8:54 PM
ROTFLOL!!! @ kateebee...........what a shame, everybody has to suffer cause a few people are careless.. Why not ban all liquor period.. I guess the law makers dont drink 4 loko otherwise they would sweep these cases right under the rug to their conveinence...
Posted by: MS B. | November 27, 2010 1:51 PM
Wanna know how to knock down a 6'3", 260 pound man?
Answer = Make him drink two cans of four loko...
Posted by: eCommerce Consultant | November 29, 2010 9:55 AM
Less alcohol than white zinfandel. P*ssies.
Posted by: Scrow | November 29, 2010 4:10 PM
OK so a Sun story now says the City has banned it from being sold, starting Thursday at 5 p.m. Does that mean it is still available somewhere in the city?
Any idea where?
Posted by: Cantonite | November 30, 2010 12:39 PM
@Cantonite-Canton Market was carrying it last week.
Posted by: RC | November 30, 2010 1:09 PM
I bought some at the Schnapp Shop on 29th and N. Calvert last week and they had a bunch of varieties. Please go buy them all, because I think it's horrible that my little corner grocery will have inventory that they can't legally sell after Thursday.
This ban is ridiculous. It's a knee jerk reaction to someone's PR campaign/personal vendetta.
Posted by: kateebee | November 30, 2010 3:19 PM
The ban is only for our protection. Don't you feel protected now?
Posted by: Sam Sessa | November 30, 2010 5:13 PM
Eutaw & Centre has several varieties available. Can't wait to taste the crap
Posted by: Tif | November 30, 2010 10:12 PM
i think this is bullshit and the government has gone to far
Posted by: Anonymous | April 7, 2011 5:49 PM