By Abby Drake
Staff Writer

 Two days ago an alcoholic energy drink, Four Loko,  was cited as the cause of a car wreck that killed a fourteen year old girl and put her young boyfriend behind bars.

Four Loko is a combination of malt liquor and caffeine and is twelve percent alcohol by volume. The illegal consumption of this beverage by young adults has proven to be very dangerous and as a result officials have banned its sale in Michigan, Oklahoma, Washington and recently New York.

So the debate in front of other states considering banning the beverage is whether or not it is the government’s job to step in and take these off the market instead of simply placing warning labels on each can.

Although the consequences of abusing this beverage can be horrendous, taking them away completely may not result in needed change.  People tend to be attracted to items that seem forbidden to them, and once Four Loko is banned people will want them even more.

The best solution to stop the wrath of Four Loko is through education. Just as cigarette companies were required to carry the Surgeon General’s warnings, warning labels, public service announcements or commercials would provide people with the information necessary to understand the dangerous effects of caffeinated alcoholic beverages.