DANGEROUS ALCOHOLIC ENERGY DRINK

CAFFEINATED BOOZE “FOUR LOKO”,

NOT DRUGS, SICKENED STUDENTS AT PARTY

WASHINGTON (AP) - A highly caffeinated, but legal alcoholic drink was responsible for sickening dozens and sent nine Central Washington students to the hospital, prompting initial police fears that the party-goers had been drugged, police said today. Police said some 50 students became sick after consuming large amounts of the controversial but legal beverage Four Loko, which combines as much alcohol found in a six pack of beer with as much caffeine in five cups of coffee. Sugary, high-alcohol energy drinks that are popular with college students who want to get drunk quickly and cheaply came under renewed scrutiny Monday as investigators announced that nine freshmen had been hospitalized after drinking them at an off-campus party. Several states are considering outlawing the drinks and at least two universities have banned them from campus while the FDA reviews their safety. Four Loko comes in several varieties, including fruit punch and blue raspberry. A 23.5-ounce can sells for about $2.50 and has an alcohol content of 12 percent, comparable to four beers, according to the company’s website.

Health advocates say the caffeine in the drink can also suspend the effects of alcohol consumption, allowing a person to consume more than usual. Nine students who drank a caffeinated malt liquor called Four Loko were hospitalized with blood-alcohol levels ranging from 0.12 % to 0.35 %, and a female student nearly died. A blood-alcohol concentration of 0.30 % is considered potentially lethal. All the hospitalized students were inexperienced drinkers, freshmen ranging in age from 17 to 19. “It gets you really drunk really fast and it gives you a lot of energy so you’re not going to be lying down and sleeping,” said a student who tried the beverage but doesn't drink it because the taste is "nasty."

This drink is the new major concern of parents, campus leaders and emergency services, as the effects it causes to those who consume it are similar to those of the mixture of alcohol and cocaine. It has been found that three cans of 70 ounces of “Four Loko” are able to overthrow the men, while it is not recommended that women consume more than one. It is well known that mixing a nervous system stimulant (like caffeine) with a nervous system depressant (such as alcohol) is bad for the heart. This new beverage, as well as the other forms of intoxication keep us bound to this material world and prevent us to advance towards the spiritual world.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Committing sins really means performing activities that will cause us to be attached to the material world and to cause us to return as human beings or other species in our next life. Lord Krishna also states that one who thinks of Him at the time of death is guaranteed to permanently return back to Godhead, or back to Krishna’s spiritual abode. ... Intoxication is one of the more obvious sinful activities because so many people develop addictions to it. Whether it be alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, or caffeine, addiction to intoxication is very common. Considering the fact that our senses are impossible to satisfy, it is no surprise that many take to intoxication in an attempt to break free of the senses. Instead of trying to escape the senses, the Vedas tell us to purify them through practicing devotional service to God, or Bhakti yoga. ... The easiest way to refrain from these activities is to always keep yourself engaged in God’s service wherever you are and whatever you may be doing. Keep chanting “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare” and you will be guaranteed of success.

Krishna’s Mercy - Jai Shri Krishna :
“The Four Regulative Principles” - Posted on Feb 15, 2009
http://www.krishnasmercy.org/dotnetnuke/
http://krishnasmercy.wordpress.com/2009/02/15/the-four-regulative-principles/ http://www.krishnasmercy.org/dotnetnuke/Teachings/FourRegulativePrinciples/tabid/85/Default.aspx