TO THE EDITOR:
Yesterday’s letter, “Four Loko is dangerous, sale should be banned,” not only utilizes flawed logic, but also advocates the further limitation of our rights as adults. To be sure, Four Loko has a great deal of alcohol and caffeine, and drinking them in excess is dangerous. However, when this becomes the standard to the prohibition of substances, where does it end? Drinking coffee in excess clearly would not be safe, but no one is proposing to ban it.
Moreover, the authors assert that because one could buy two Four Lokos for around $6, this must be the appropriate portion size. By this logic, because a fifth of Aristocrat vodka costs under $10, this must be an acceptable amount for an evening of drinking. Additionally, this fifth of vodka could simply be mixed with other highly caffeinated, legal beverages such as Red Bull and Mountain Dew for a similar effect.
Although I grieve for those who have died from alcohol poisoning, I feel that our elected representatives should not prevent rational adults from indulging in the alcohol of their choosing, including Four Loko. For now let’s focus on solving the root of the problem: binge drinking on college campuses. Banning Four Loko merely puts a temporary Band-Aid on the problem until the next fad drink arises.
Matt Miller
Junior
Economics and Asian Studies
