Makers of Alcoholic Energy Drink Sued in Death of Student

The parents of twenty year-old Jason Keiran, who allegedly killed himself as a result of consuming three energy drinks, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Four Loko drink company, as reported by abc News.

Joe and Vicki Keiran contend that their son's intoxication caused him to become both manic and erratic.  The episode ended when he accidentally shot himself.

The fruit punch-flavored drinks consumed by Keiran held the equivalent of 18 light beers and 6 cups of coffee.  There are 2.82 ounces of alcohol and 156 milligrams of caffeine in each 23.5 ounce can.

Don Van Dingenen, attorney for the family, states that Jason, a Florida State Sophomore, picked up and then played with a friend's gun at a party on September 17.  The party had been going for 30 hours straight.

Van Dingenen said, "They say he started to act crazy. He pointed the gun at his head and everyone else. He said I realize I'm freaking you guys out take the gun away from me."

Vicki Keiran said of her loss, "I just miss him more and more everyday I wish he would e-mail me I wish he would call me…I wish he was coming home for Thanksgiving."

Joe Keiran added, "We lived for our kids so they could get on their way in life."

There has been no comment from the Four Loko Company as they have yet to review the lawsuit.  They did, however, send a letter to government regulators that read that while they didn't "agree with the notion that mixing caffeine and alcohol is inherently unsafe, we welcome the opportunity to have a discussion with you about working together to create uniform, industrywide standards. "

There are no laws governing drinks with alcohol and caffeine combinations. 

Jason Kiernan's death is still being investigated by the medial examiner's office as to whether it was an accidental shooting or an intentional suicide.

Both his parents, and his friends at the scene, believe that it was not a suicide.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that these drinks are quickly becoming favorites for college students but that the alcohol/caffeine combination makes it "three times more likely to binge drink than those who drink straight alcohol."

Recently dozens of students from Central Washington University had to be hospitalized for violently ill reactions after a party.  Some students have dubbed the drink "Blackout in a can" because side effects can include unwanted sex and blackouts.

New York beer distributors will stop selling the drinks in December and four states have already banned them. 

Because the caffeine hides people's sensation of drunkenness New York Senator, Charles Schumer, remarked, "It's almost a death wish disguised as an energy drink."

The Kiernan's also contend that society's acceptance of underage drinkers have made the drink widely accessible. 

Four Loko condemns underage use, and alcohol abuse, of their product.

Vicki Kieran's motivation for filing the lawsuit is simple, "So another mother doesn't have to sit here, so she doesn't have to go through what I went through."

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