The Washington state Liquor Control Board on Wednesday banned the sale of alcoholic energy drinks after a group of college students got sick from consuming a drink nicknamed "blackout in a can."The ban, which takes effect November 18, follows the October hospitalization of nine underage Central Washington University students who said they got sick after drinking "Four Loko," a caffeinated malt liquor. Some of the students also mixed the canned drinks with other alcohol, including vodka, police reported.Washington state Attorney General Rob McKenna has called for federal food regulators to ban the beverages, which he said "have such high levels of stimulants that people have no idea how inebriated they really are."But Four Loko's manufacturer, Phusion Projects of Chicago, Illinois, said the drink is "just as safe as any other alcoholic beverage" when used responsibly. The company said it was "extremely disappointed" by the ban, which it said was "based on misguided information and does not address the issue at hand."
