Bill Hogan | Chicago Tribune | MCT

The drink has become increasingly popular among young adults, and, as a result, it has led to recent hospitalizations among college consumers.

The drink contains 135 milligrams of caffeine per 23.5-ounce can and 6 to 12 percent alcohol by volume according to the Mayo Clinic.

Four Loko, which has been nicknamed “blackout in a can,” has been linked with an incident at Central Washington University, where dozens of students were found sick after a party. Nine students who passed out were rushed to the hospital.

Students at Washington University do consume Four Loko, but none were willing to talk about it on the record.

Nonetheless, students who consume the drink don’t think it’s so bad.

“Four Loko isn’t particularly special as far as alcohol content is concerned,” said one student who wished to remain anonymous. “It’s essentially Red Bull and vodka, which is a really common drink.”

The New York Times reports that the drink is popular among college students. Four Loko has accumulated a cult following on the Internet, with many YouTube users posting videos of themselves chugging the drink in front of the camera.

Since the incident at Central Washington University, Phusion Projects LLC, the producer of Four Loko, has been under intense scrutiny from college campuses and health groups. The drink has been banned on a growing list of campuses. Central Washington University enacted a temporary ban as a result of the incident on their campus.

Phusion Projects has been quick to defend its product, saying that Four Loko is as safe as any other alcoholic beverage. Furthermore, the company says that mixtures of caffeine and alcohol, such as Red Bull and vodka, have been popular for some time and have been consumed safely in the past.

Students agree with the company that the drink is as safe as any other.

“It seems like people get drunker, where in reality they get drunk more quickly, not more drunk,” the anonymous student said.

Not everybody agrees with the company. According to ABC News, the combination of caffeine and alcohol found in Four Loko is potentially dangerous: “The caffeine may make you feel like you’re not getting drunk as quickly, so you may ingest more,” said Harris Stratyner, vice president of the Caron Center and an addiction specialist.

The FDA is currently investigating different brands of caffeinated alcoholic drinks on the market in order to determine whether these products are reasonably safe for consumption. Phusion Projects claims that their product is safe and that they’ve been cooperating with the FDA.

Regardless of whether the FDA takes action in banning Four Loko or not, Stratyner believes that nobody should be consuming the beverage.

“Quite frankly, I think adults that are legal shouldn’t drink [Four Loko] either,” Stratyner said.

Students think that the beverage should be consumed only when necessary.

“Most people wouldn’t drink it; it tastes like garbage,” the anonymous student said. “You should only drink it if you only have $4 or you need to get drunk quickly.”