Four Loko, Similar Drinks Still on Towson Shelves

In the wake of government bans on caffeinated alcoholic beverages such as Four Loko, Baltimore County officials say they are considering taking some type of action against the drinks.

"We're very aware of the issue and we're looking at our options and our suggestions," said Monique Lyle, a spokeswoman for the Baltimore County Health Department.

Health department and other county government officials are scheduled to meet next week to determine what, if any, action to take following the Food and Drug Administration's ruling that the drinks are unsafe.

Though the industry has taken voluntary action, other local jurisdictions are moving ahead with bans. On Tuesday, Baltimore City and  became the latest to prohibit the drinks.

In Towson, liquor store owners said they would abide by any future county action to ban the drinks, but they wouldn't be happy about it. Doug Marcus, owner of Towson Wines and Spirits, believes the national rage is misdirected.

"The problem with the (FDA) ruling is it has nothing to do with the content; it's personal responsibility that people exercise. In a typical liquor store, if you drink anything we sell to excess, you're going to get sick, get drunk, pass out," he said. "People have been drinking Red Bull and vodka for years and all Four Loko was was both in a can."

The drinks are popular among college students but they have been a prime target for elected officials and others since October. Late last month, nine Central Washington University students became seriously ill at a house party after drinking several cans and since then, other similar incidents have made headlines.

One can of Four Loko contains alcohol and caffeine roughly equivalent to three beers and two cups of coffee. Opponents call it a "blackout in a can."

Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent a letter to the manufacturers of Four Loko and similar drinks warning them caffeine was an "unsafe food additive" for alcoholic drinks. Maryland's largest liquor trade groups asked their members to comply with a voluntary ban at the urging of Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot.

Chicago-based Phusion Projects, producers of Four Loko, voluntarily pulled caffeine and similar additives from its drinks following the public outcry, but the caffeinated versions are still fairly easy to find in some Towson-area stores.  has a few cases left and has 15 to 20 left, according to the owners. Other stores, like  and , never carried it.

"I just try to give a convenience to the customers," Top Shelf owner Jim Williams said. "As long as they stay responsible, I don't think there's a problem. It's no different than anything else we've got here."

Though Goucher College and Towson University have no official ban in place, officials there say students are expected to comply with existing alcohol policies, which prohibit underage drinking and public consumption.

Marcus, of Towson Wines and Spirits, said the offending drinks represent a very small fraction of his sales, at best. But he thinks any ban is a way for people to avoid personal responsibility.

"It's hard to demonstrate that one thing is problematic, but one thing used to excess is problematic," he said. "I could say we could have the same conversation about McDonald's if everyone ate three times their weight in McDonald's a day and then tried to sue McDonald's because they're morbidly obese."