Changes made to Four Loko label are counterproductive

     How can you consume the equivalent of four or five cans of beer with just one 23.5 oz. container and $2.50? The Federal Trade Commis- sion has an answer, and it could be an old enemy or friend, based on your history with the drink. We all know what Four Loko was and still is: a drink that leads to reckless nights of debauchery and ruins reputations.

      Although the can has been stripped of some of its stimulants, the FTC has not stopped at regulat- ing Four Loko's placement in the marketplace. Next on the agenda, it will introduce a new label to be placed on cans that will tell consum- ers how much alcohol they contain — the equivalent of four beers. Prior to this new FTC regulation, Four Loko only told consumers that it contained the same amount of alcohol as one to two beers.

       While it is true that the original problem with Four Loko was that it masked its excessive alcohol content and attracted college students with its low price and flashy appearance, the FTC's attempt at transparency may be counterproductive. As we all can agree, binge drinking and alco- hol poisoning should not be aims of the night, but shortsighted students drinking on a budget may now return to the can once more, now that they'll see how much alcohol they can get. The WSN Editorial Board believes the new preventive information will not discourage, but instead serve to advertise the contents of the drink even more than ever before.

     In the end, the FTC actions ap- pear to be contradicting its intended goal. Its need for transparency is re- spectable but could merely re-popu- larize the product in the public eye. Instead, let Four Loko naturally fall by the curb where it seems to end up every morning.