Sale of Four Lokos to end in New York state beginning Dec. 10
The alcoholic energy drink Four Loko will no longer be available for purchase in New York state after Dec. 10, according to a news release issued by Gov. David Paterson’s office Sunday.
The State Liquor Authority came to an agreement late Saturday with Four Loko’s parent company Phusion Products to stop shipping all alcoholic beverages that contain caffeine and other stimulants to New York state. Shipments will permanently stop on Friday, and beverage distributors have until Dec. 10 to clear their inventories.
‘New Yorkers deserve to know that the beverages they buy are safe for consumption,’ Paterson said in the release. He said the mutual agreement between beverage distributors and the State Liquor Authority is the first step in ‘removing alcoholic energy drinks from the market.’
The state’s largest alcoholic beverage distributors agreed to stop selling and placing orders for malt beverage energy drinks, as well, according to the release.
Alcoholic energy drinks are classified as malt beverages that contain caffeine, guarana, taurine or ginseng at high levels. Alcoholic drinks with coffee flavoring or tea are not included in the state’s agreement, according to the release.
‘People are just going to stock up as much as they can,’ said Jon O’Hearn, assistant manager at Graby’s Mini Mart, which sells Four Loko on the corner of Westcott Street and Euclid Avenue.
The store sells 40 to 50 cases of Four Loko per week and will continue selling it as long as the store has it, he said. O’Hearn said he expected the state to restrict Four Loko sooner. But even with the agreement, he said another drink similar to it will just develop.
‘Give it six months and another new drink will pop up,’ he said. ‘They’ll never stop.’
In addition to ending the shipment of Four Lokos, Phusion Products also agreed to fund a public awareness campaign about the dangers of alcoholic binge drinking, according to the news release.
Liquor Authority Chairman Dennis Rosen played a role in the agreement to end Four Loko sales in New York. The State Liquor Authority has been involved in extensive conversations with beverage distributors about the potential dangers of caffeine masking the effects of the alcoholic drinks, according to the release.
‘We commend Chairman Rosen and his staff for their willingness to work with the industry regarding this difficult issue,’ said Steve Harris, president of the New York State Beer Wholesalers Association. ‘We are pleased to be a partner in the process of resolving the tangled issues that have surrounded these products.’
A previous version of this article appeared on dailyorange.com on Nov. 14.
Published on November 13, 2010 at 12:00 pm
