The Four Loko Debate: Alcoholic Energy Drinks More Dangerous Than You Think

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) October 30, 2010 -- There’s been a lot of attention focused on energy drinks lately – especially Four Loko, which has been placed front and center of the controversy because of its role in criminal activities and incidents of drunkenness.

Four Loko looks deceptively innocent. Sold in convenience stores, in attractive (and kid-friendly packaging) and priced reasonably at $2 - $3 a can, it’s a veritable teen magnet. And, it contains the “magic ingredients” of alcohol and caffeine. What many don’t know is that at 12% alcohol by volume, it’s more than twice what you’d find in the same amount of Budweiser.

The biggest trouble with Four Loko and drinks like it is that when you combine alcohol, which is a depressant, with caffeine, which is a stimulant, the result is that you get more intoxicated -- and may not even know it. With today’s binge-drinking teens, that’s problematic.

In a Time magazine story on this issue, reporter John McCloud weighed in:

Alcohol functions in your body pretty much the same whether you mix it with caffeine or not. The problem is, you will feel better if caffeine is present. A 2006 study published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research found that people who consumed energy drinks with alcohol had significantly less dry mouth and headache than those who drank only alcohol. They also perceived their motor coordination to be better — even though it wasn't. Alcoholic energy drinks are a crime against taste — but worse, they trick your brain into believing you're not as drunk as you are.

Challenges Addiction and Relapse Prevention Treatment Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida specializes in the treatment of addiction and alcohol abuse. Dr. Jeffrey Huttman, Chief Clinical Officer of Challenges, says: “These stats are alarming, to say the least. When it’s reported that some 60% of teens engage in binge drinking and you add dangerous products like alcoholic energy drinks that are specifically marketed to young people, it can very well be a recipe for disaster. We are actually witnessing some of our young patients coming into treatment heavily impaired by Four Lokos recently. They call it quick, cheap and efficient, but their state of mind is tremendously altered by it – beyond that of an alcoholic drink without caffeine.”

CONTACT INFORMATION

If you are a member of the media interested in interviewing one of the doctors or experts on the Challenges Addiction and Relapse Prevention Treatment Center staff, please contact Michelle Lamar or Shelly Kramer at V3 Integrated Marketing. Contact us at info@v3im.com or call 816-200-2520.

If you are not a member of the media and you are interested in learning more about Challenges’ addiction and relapse prevention programs, please contact us by phone at 888-755-3334 or online at http://www.challenges-program.com. The team at Challenges is available to help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Challenges Addiction and Relapse Prevention Treatment Center
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Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33063
(888) 755-3334 Toll Free

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Palm Beach, Florida 33410
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Miami, FL 33131
(877) 477-6479 Toll Free

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