Alchol and Caffeine, a Mixture for Disaster

Caffeine itself is a powerful drug that is very addicting, however combine with alcohol it can be deadly. The combination of alcohol and caffiene is becoming more and more popular for college-aged crowd and other under-aged drinkers. A study done in 2008 by the Journal of American College Health concluded that 26% of surveyed public university undergraduates reported consuming energy drinks mixed with alcohol in the past month. The survey was done by Kathleen E. Miller, a research scientist at the Research Institute on Addictions at the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Now it is common to find drinks such as Four Loko on Liquor store shelves. Four Loko is an inexpensive beverage that comes pre-mixed with alcohol and is becoming increasingly available to the underaged crowd it is targeted to.
Since Four Loko comes pre mixed with caffeine and alcohol, sources say that it is even more harmful than just plain alcohol alone. Miller also said, "The caffeine stimulates the system while the alcohol depresses it, making students feel less drunk than they actually are."
Four Loko alone has been the cause of more than 20 student hospitalizations since fall semester started at Ramapo College in New Jersey. Officials for the University say that it is becoming more and more of a problem and intend to get the drinks banned from surrounding bars. Although they know that it is nearly impossible, they have to begin somewhere.
Ramapo officials are making other efforts to curb the consumption of alcoholic energy drinks. They have increased after hours security measures in residence halls, tightening visitor policies and holding student focus groups according to the USA TODAY story.
College campus' across the United States should look out and take precautions on their own terms. Waiting for more of the same accidents to happen on more campus' would simply be ignorant because the evidence is overwhelming. This trend needs to be stopped in its tracks before more students are hurt by the harmful effects of such a drug.