None — A new kind of alcoholic energy drink has lawmakers scrambling to learn more about what some call a very dangerous combination.
Governor Bev Perdue has already asked the makers of the drinks to stop selling in the state and on Thursday, North Carolina's ABC Commission will look at whether the drinks should be regulated.
Four Loco and other alcoholic energy drinks have quickly become college favorites, as they contain lots of alcohol and cost less than $3. UNC Charlotte freshman Megan Becker said girls especially like the sweet-tasting drink because it masks the taste of alcohol.
While the taste may not be noticeable, the alcohol is definitely there. Drinking one 24-ounce can is the equivalent of chugging five beers, as it is 12 percent alcohol. The can also has the caffeine equivalent of two cups of coffee.
"You don't even notice it and I think that's the problem," Angela Cooke Allen, a counselor at UNC Charlotte, said. "Everyone is drinking it and they don't notice how bad it is."
Allen, who works with students who get in trouble for drinking, said consumption of the drink has become a problem this semester. She said she's seen a spike in students with dangerously high blood alcohol content levels because of consumption of products like Four Loko.
Allen said a 100-pound female who drinks one can of Four Loko in an hour would have a blood alcohol level of .25, which is three times the legal limit to drive.
"We definitely have had females end up in the hospital from drinking a single Four Loko," she said.
Gov. Perdue sent a statement to the makers of alcoholic energy drinks on Friday, asking them to stop selling their products in North Carolina until they are found to be safe. Perdue said the caffeine in the drinks "acts as a stimulant that encourages continued drinking."
[ Statement From Makers Of Four Loko ]
Allen is also pushing for change, asking the Mecklenburg County ABC for regulation.
"We would like to see it at least be moved into ABC stores, so it's only available to people over 21 and it's controlled a great deal more than it is now," she said.
For now, Allen is pushing for awareness, giving lectures to freshmen and trying to spread the word about the dangers of these drinks.
A spokesperson for Mecklenburg County's ABC Board told Channel 9 they too would like to see the drinks regulated and have let the state board know it.