A recent Pinellas DUI crash that took the lives of four Orlando men has brought attention to the dangers of drinking and driving when it comes to alcoholic energy drinks. These alcoholic beverages came to the media’s attention after Demetrius Jordan ran a red light and slammed into a car carrying Elroy McConnell and his three sons. All four men died and police found a can of a drink called Four Loko in Jordan’s car.
Jordan is facing four counts of DUI manslaughter and DUI with serious bodily injury. He was also charged with possession of alcohol by a minor as he is just 20-years-old. That has not only raised the awareness of energy drinks but also the way they are marketed and if the companies are targeting underage drinkers for their products.

In order to reduce these beverages being obtained by minors and contributing to underage drinking and future DUI crashes the Sentinel is calling for their removal from convenience stores and to have these types of drinks sold in liquor stores where the enforcement is greater and there are not as many teenagers exposed to the product. Teens are already used to energy drinks and at around three dollars a can they are gulping down these drinks with names like Joose, Evil Eye and Slingshot Party Gel.
The other concern is that the drinks are a mixture of a depressant like alcohol and a stimulant that is contained in the energy drinks. Another suggestion to curb the popularity of these drinks with underage drinkers is making the beverages use labels that don’t look just like non-alcoholic energy drinks