Hot on the heels of all the controversy over caffeinated alcoholic beverages comes word of a family suing the makers of Four Loko because their son fatally shot himself in the head after binge drinking.
Now, I feel nothing but sympathy for the family in their grief and understand the need to for the parents to lash out at something, anything. But let’s face it, the story says their son was on a 30-hour drinking binge! Yes, the caffeine in the drink no doubt helped keep him awake, but so would Red Bull, espresso shots or lattes from Starbucks, which means the issue here is not the drink itself, but the circumstances which lead to the lad’s obviously destructive behavior!
The culprit here, folks, is not Four Loko, but a society that demonizes alcohol to the point that college students, given their first taste of freedom and with absolutely zero experience in or understanding of the responsible consumption of alcohol, run rampant. It is terrible and tragic and desperately sad, but as vile and revolting as Four Loko might be, it’s not the drink’s fault.
I agree 100% Steve. My parents were strict missionaries. Alcohol was the work of the devil. When I went to Penn State, I went out and got drunk the first opportunity I had. (And the second opportunity, third opportunity, etc.)
Our daughter, on the other hand, was raised in an environment where it alcohol is not taboo. She is in her freshman year at college. She doesn’t drink, she hangs out with friends who rarely drink, and they never get drunk.
Another problem here. A justice system that will take that case and eventually will force the makers of that beverage settle of court.
Dude obviously had mental problems.