This revelation is not a sudden light that shone down upon me. It’s, in fact, been a part of my knowledge ever since I started working in the news. But somehow, no one seems to realize it.

Stories you see in newspapers, on cable TV, in magazines? Most of them are wrong.

Now, I’m not talking wholly fabricated a la Jayson Blair, but the fact of the matter is most journalists (be they bloggers, broadsheeters or broadcasters) are lazy. This laziness seeps into their reporting, which is usually cobbled together by calling people on both sides of an issue, transcribing whatever they say (or lifting quotes from the press release), and going about their merry way.

I first saw evidence of this phenomenon when I was at the Daily Evergreen. For some reason, we had three or four stories about WSU (or the Ev itself) find their way into the larger media landscape, usually via being picked up by the AP. And every time, there was always at least one major fact that was flat-out wrong. Every. Single. Time.

The first time, we tried calling the AP office and letting them know. They ran a correction over the wire … except that their correction was also wrong. And when we called them back to inform them they still didn’t have it right, they just ignored it.

Thereafter, we didn’t bother to inform them of their erroneous ways.

I bring this up because of a story I’ve been working, the so-called Four Loko ban. (An edited version of my story will be up on Thursday, using a lot of this same information.) As I went through and spent a grand total of four days tracking down research, culling information and calling up experts, one thing became crystal clear to me: The Washington State Liquor Control Board got it wrong. Horribly wrong.

Allow me to elaborate. In its proclamation, the LCB cites two reasons for their ban.

1. The overuse of caffeine can result in acute overdoses that cause health problems.
2. The marketing messages imply they have energizing effects and fail to disclose consequences and adverse effects

I’ll spot you the second reason, even though the “ban” could easily be replaced by warning labels. But the first reason isn’t even close to any known definition of the words “truth” or “accuracy.”

The studies (including those cited by the board in their fact sheet accompanying the ban) show that the danger from drinking caffeinated alcohol drinks comes from the combination of caffeine and alcohol. That is, the stimulant (caffeine) masks the effects of the depressant (alcohol), thus allowing the drinker to consume more than they otherwise would without feeling its effects.

No one, anywhere, has ever suggested that the amount of caffeine in these drinks is in and of itself a danger. If that were the case, regular energy drinks would have been banned the minute they were introduced on the market.

The aforementioned fact sheet also mentions additional reasons for the ban. They include:

• Citing two studies (from Wake Forest and the University of Florida) that people who consume alcohol and caffeine are more likely to suffer the negative aspects of drinking (assault, sexual assault, riding with intoxicated drivers).
• The FDA is currently researching the safety and legality of alcoholic energy drinks
• Companies are marketing these drinks toward youth*
• Alcoholic energy drinks look similar to regular energy drinks

These are the reasons cited — if any are given at all beyond the underage CWU students getting shit-faced in Roslyn, Wash. — for the ban in every news story I’ve read. There are, however, a few problems.

• Both studies focused on only those mixed drinks you can buy (Jågerbombs, vodka-Red Bulls) in bars. Zero studies have been conducted on pre-mixed alcoholic energy drinks.
• The FDA has not ruled on the safety and legality; therefore, why is the LCB moving ahead? Furthermore, the FDA is using those same studies, which concern the adding of alcohol to caffeine in any form, to base its judgment. Why are only pre-mixed drinks like Four Loko being affected?
• Of course they’re advertising to “youth,” an intentionally vague term. No 50-year-old’s drinking Four Loko. The spokesman for the board told me, “The board would say that these products are dangerous in their estimation. This is different than drinking beer in college or young people drinking to excess. These cans have high levels of stimulants and high levels of alcohol. The purpose of them is getting drunk.” You know, as opposed to every other kind of alcohol sold, the purpose of which is to not get drunk.
• The spokesman for the LCB also tried this “people get confused by packaging” line on me. Here’s how that conversation went:
  ME: It also says there are concerns about the packaging looking similar.
  HIM: If you’ve ever seen them, they look pretty close to the same cans as regular energy drinks
  ME: Are you seriously suggesting that people are purchasing these drinks without being aware of what they are?
  HIM: Anecdotally, people purchase them. i don’t know how the system works. But the product look just like energy drinks.
  ME: Won’t they be carded? Doesn’t it say “12 percent alcohol” on the can?
  HIM: Again, anecdotally, this is a problem.

There are two takeaways from this whole mess: 1) Mixing caffeine and alcohol can be dangerous if the person who’s drinking the concoction isn’t aware of how much alcohol and caffeine they’re actually consuming. 2) There is absolutely zero evidence to suggest a difference between pre-mixed caffeinated alcohol and non-pre-mixed. Any ban should cover bars, restaurants and any other mixing of caffeine with alcohol.

But what do you read in the news? You get the LCB’s sentiments, you get Phusion Products’ (the makers of Four Loko) rebuttal, and that’s it.

I realize this is not an issue of monumental importance to most people. I must admit, I hate energy drinks, be they alcoholic or not. But this kind of thing cannot be allowed to perpetuate, either at the media or governmental levels. If there’s a health problem, then it applies to the general consumption of alcohol mixed with caffeine. That’s the message that any reasoning adult could come up with after spending an hour looking into this issue. The failure of both the Washington state government and the media in general to come to this conclusion is worrisome.

The amazing board spokesman came up with these reasons why the ban only applies to pre-mixed stuff:

• Pre-mixed alcoholic drinks are available at your neighborhood convenience store (ergo kids can get their hands on them)
• Servers keep an eye on those ordering mixed drinks at a bar
• They’re more expensive at the bar**

I’m going to ignore the last point (because it’s stupid), and focus on the first two. The state of Montana figured out a way to fix the first problem without a ban by only allowing the sale of alcoholic energy drinks in liquor stores (where you have to be 21 to even get inside). The second is a great reason … were it not for the fact that the entire problem with these drinks is that the effect of the alcohol is masked, thus meaning the server would have no way of telling how drunk the customer is.

There are several competing themes in play here: Treating adults like adults, unnecessary intrusion of the government, and simply keeping an even playing field (between bars and the pre-mixed drink makers). I have no problem with a ban on mixing alcoholic drinks with caffeine — based on the science, it seems rather sound. What I do have a problem with is ramming through a politically expedient piece of legislation, crying “public health” as the reason and ignoring the actual implications of what that would mean. We’re smarter than that — the government, the media and the populace at large. At least, we should be.

* Using “social networking sites interactive fan websites and product giveaways at events.” OH GOD THEY’RE USING FACEBOOK! ILLEGALIZE IT!
** I swear he actually said this.

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