In line with the ban of the alcoholic energy beverage Four Loko in several US states after cases of teenager hospitalizations, the drink prohibition moved to the centre of public debate.

Washington represents the state that most recently banned the caffeinated energy drink after a student party at Central Washington University ended with the hospitalization of a number of nine students.

Investigations of the Washington students and other incidents with Four Loko confirm that a high consumption of the drink bears great health risks.

For the first time, the producer of the beverage, Phusion Projects in Chicago, articulated the company's opinion on the bans.

A statement reads: "If the true concern (of the ban) was to preserve the public health, safety, and general welfare, this ban would also address caffeinated liquor products, which contain three to four times as much alcohol as our products. Instead, under this ban, these products will remain legal and accessible to the same subset of the population that chose not to consume our products responsibly, sold in stores where existing alcohol laws can continue to be ignored, and abused alongside the same types of alcohols and other illicit substances that contributed to the incident at Central Washington University earlier this year."

According to supporters of the drinking ban, the cheap beverage has caused a certain hype that makes more and more students try it on Parties. Opponents underline that the consumers, who cannot handle responsible alcohol consumption, need to be blamed for the incidents instead of the beverage. Medical experts underline that especially the mixture of alcohol and caffeine make Four Loko a risk that students tend to underestimate.