FOUR LOKO

   

 Blackout in a Can

I never had a Four Loko and likely never will, while I do drink alcohol I seldom get drunk, come to think of it the last drink I had recently was on New Years Eve. When I do drink, I really don't want to drink a can of fruity crap, but then again, I am no longer a crazy college student looking to get totally and completely plastered.

Products such as Four Loko have been at the center of a Federal Trade Commission controversy on labeling. Phusion Projects will be forced to include an "alcohol facts panel" stating the alcohol by volume and number of servings. Phusion also will be required to redesign their cans containing more than 2.5 servings of alcohol so they can be resealed. That way consumers don't feel like they need to drink the whole thing in one sitting.

Missing the Point

I think the false premise behind the FTC's argument is that somehow, those imbibing large quantities of Four Loko are doing so out of ignorance as opposed to intent.  Get real.  Binge drinking college students are binge drinking on purpose... before Four Loko, back in the day, it was Schlitz Malt Liquor Bull,  Jungle Juice, or any of the dozens of other party mixtures. I can recall a Pearl Harbor party in which all the guests were drinking Kamikazes out of woks and our host wound up drifting out into Vineyard Sound well after dark on his sailboard (keep in mind the Pearl Harbor attack took place in early December, but don't worry... he eventually returned safely to us).

Intense Write-in Campaign

What intrigued me most about this news article was the following quote:

The FTC's decision came after an intense write-in campaign from citizens, the agency said. The FTC received over 250 public comments in response to its initial proposal and modified its ruling in response.

250 public comments is an intense write-in campaign?  Who is the FTC kidding?

The Nanny State

While the intent may be admirable and binge-drinking seriously misguided, who is the FTC kidding other than themselves that a warning label is going to stop people intent on binge drinking? Or that the people doing so need to be educated on the evils of alcohol.  If anything, a label stating 'contains the equivalent of five beers will probably boost sales. One need look no further than the beer bong illustrated above to know it is in vain.

Cheers!

~Finntann~