Personally I love going out with my friends. Because I live in the lively city of Hong Kong where going out is somewhat of an event. I had never been to a club before I moved here and if I’m being honest, I had never thought I would until the legal age. But when my friends first introduced me to the nightlife here, I was completely sold. Not because of the limitless alcohol available (especially on ladies night) but because of the atmosphere. It’s the one night where I can genuinely escape my life at school and at home, let it all out and just have fun!

Now I don’t drink. Well… not anymore. I used too. But after one particularly nasty night, I realized that I could have fun without the alcohol. Best thing about that? I’ll still be able to remember everything the morning after.

The night that really turned me off alcohol was New Years. It was the best night. I remember everything, especially what and how much I drank. But what I remember most is the look on my boyfriends face when he took me home.  Now he doesn’t drink alcohol. In fact he has never taken a sip, pledges that he never will and I have always respected him for that. He has never minded me drinking. But this one night seemed a little different. He explained to me that he was worried. Not because of how much I drank but because he was leaving for university soon and felt that leaving me with my friends would make me vulnerable. He believed that because all of my friends got as drunk as I did, no one would be able to look after me if it got to the point where I needed help. I took in what he said and genuinely thought it through. And he was right. It wasn’t safe. Having a bunch of drunken teenage kids wandering around the streets, not one of them sober, would leave us all at risk. A risk I was not willing to take. So just like that, I stopped. It wasn’t a hard decision because I knew it was a right one.

Now I’m not saying that everyone should stop drinking alcohol! I mean, to each his own but for me, I don’t need it and frankly I don’t want it. Yes, I still go out and I still have fun. And yes, without alcohol. But now my kind of successful night includes great music, awful dancing and few bottles of… water. 

- Laura 

"A blackout is a phenomenon caused by the intake of alcohol or other substance in which long term memory creation is impaired or there is a complete inability to recall the past," according to Wikipedia. This phenomenon occurs frequently when alcohol is being abused. The effects of these blackouts have proven to be harmful and sometimes fatal. I have anecdotal evidence from a close friend who has experienced a terrifying blackout chiefly due to a high amount of marijuana and alcohol.

He was "pre-gaming" a few hours before the County Fair at a friends house by making a few drinks with whiskey and soda. The mixture of the cheap whiskey and soda deceived his awareness of the 101-proof potency of the whiskey, causing him to consume more alcohol than he was aware of. To make things worse he and some other friends decided to stop by the parking lot of a church to smoke a couple grams of marijuana out of an empty beer can. Being very significantly altered, he finally made it to the Fair. This is when the blackout officially began. He has no recollection of anything at the fair except for vomiting off of the ferris wheel and eating mass amounts of funnel cake. About 3 hours after his arrival at the fair he decided to drive himself back home.

Being under the influence of any substance is very dangerous to your own health along with those of others. Especially being on the highways near his hometown. Luckily the situation soon ended when he regained full consciousness and began to feel somewhat normal. Unfortunately, he found himself about 25 miles off track in a shopping mall parking lot. He wisely decided to turn off the engine and get his mind right before leaving the parking lot. After half an hour of trying to piece together how he had arrived in this situation, he very carefully made his way back home with no mental recollection of the "great time" he had experienced. Yet he risked his own life and the lives of others by driving under the influence.

• The latest episode of "Underage Drinking: Four Loko, Part 2" is now online. Check out Adam and friends as they wrap up this important issue for teens everywhere.

  In this episode, you'll learn more about the risks and consequences of underage drinking, particularly when potent products such as Four Loko are involved. Watch as the friends in the In Search of Me Cafe relate personal stories of how underage drinking, and Four Loko in particular, have forever changed the course of young lives.

  Four Loko has been in the news recently, mostly regarding the banning of these products in several states and many college campuses. Also, the Food & Drug Administration has pressured the makers of Four Loko to remove caffeine from their products. Our hope is that these actions will also lead the makers to abandon the misleading marketing tactics of these products that clearly target younger consumers -- many of whom are underage. Enough of the fruity flavors and bright, youthful packaging.

  Adam wraps up the episode by asking all teens to set the example by simply refusing to be pressured into drinking irresponsibly, particularly when potent products such as Four Loko are involved.

  Watch this powerful episode at In Search of Me Cafe
  

  And to learn more about Underage Drinking, go to Underage Drinking

The latest episode of "Underage Drinking: Four Loko, Part 2" is now online. Check out Adam and friends as they wrap up this important issue for teens everywhere.

In this episode, you'll learn more about the risks and consequences of underage drinking, particularly when potent products such as Four Loko are involved. Watch as the friends in the In Search of Me Cafe relate personal stories of how underage drinking, and Four Loko in particular, have forever changed the course of young lives.

Four Loko has been in the news recently, mostly regarding the banning of these products in several states and many college campuses. Also, the Food & Drug Administration has pressured the makers of Four Loko to remove caffeine from their products. Our hope is that these actions will also lead the makers to abandon the misleading marketing tactics of these products that clearly target younger consumers -- many of whom are underage. Enough of the fruity flavors and bright, youthful packaging.

Adam wraps up the episode by asking all teens to set the example by simply refusing to be pressured into drinking irresponsibly, particularly when potent products such as Four Loko are involved.

Watch this powerful episode at In Search of Me Cafe

And to learn more about Underage Drinking, go to Underage Drinking

Here’s a recent article related to underage drinking that involves Four Loko. Thanks to Angie Hardin for referring this:

A night of cruising and drinking ended early Sunday with the death of a 14-year-old Arlington girl in a wreck on Interstate 35W in Denton, police said.

Valeria Rodriguez was with her 14-year-old boyfriend, who had taken his family’s Chevrolet TrailBlazer without permission, and another friend when the SUV crashed into a guardrail and rolled, police said.

The friend told police that the three teens had consumed five cans of Four Loko, an alcoholic energy drink, and a 12-pack of beer, Denton police Capt. Lenn Carter said.

Police are awaiting results of blood tests before pursuing charges, but the boyfriend could face a juvenile charge of intoxication manslaughter, Carter said. He was not identified because of his age.
Rodriguez and the boyfriend had taken turns driving the TrailBlazer around Arlington after attending a quinceañera, Carter said.

When they got bored, they decided to head north to Oklahoma, Carter said.

The SUV was on I-35W near the Bonnie Brae Street exit close to the fork to Interstate 35E in Denton when the boyfriend lost control. The vehicle crashed into a guardrail and rolled, ejecting Rodriguez, according to the Tarrant County medical examiner.

The time of death was listed as 3:35 a.m.

Rodriguez was not wearing a seat belt, police

Written By CHANCE WELCH (cwelch@star-telegram.com)

Energy drinks that contain alcohol are high on awareness these days. Unfortunately, many of these products are marketed to young people — many of whom are underage to consume alcohol. Whether you’re of the legal age or not, know that before you reach for an alcoholic energy drink, there are a few things that should be taken in to consideration. When you have an alcoholic energy drink like Four Loko, you’re not just having one drink, it’s the equivalent of five.  The danger of a drink as strong as that is it can be difficult for someone to realize how drunk they are getting until they have already consumed too much. It’s for this reason that Four Loko has the reputation of being the “blackout drink”. What makes Four Loko worse is the energy factor. Along with the high alcohol content, there is as much caffeine and energy stimulant as a cup of coffee in every drink.  The energy masks the common side effects that are important indicators to know when someone should stop drinking.  Having an “awake” sense of drunkenness can lead to feeling less impaired. This can be even more dangerous when making decisions like whether or not to drive. Given the amount of attention drinks like Four Loko have received in the media lately its clear this is a substance that should not be underestimated. So before you reach, know the risks that are taken with every alcoholic energy drink. And, if you’re not old enough to legally drink alcohol, don’t.

After a teenager was found unconscious at the end of last weekend’s Tailgate celebration, Duke University has canceled student Tailgate activities for this Saturday’s game.

In a letter e-mailed to all students, Larry Moneta, vice president for student affairs at Duke, said student Tailgate “has long lost its value as a pre-football, spirit building activity and has become increasingly dangerous in every iteration.”

“This incident has vividly revealed that tailgate as is practiced at Duke must come to an end,” Moneta wrote. Moneta said the university would work with students on ideas to celebrate the 2011 season “with the class and spirit for which Duke is known.”

Turns out the ‘young teen,’ a sibling of a Duke student, was discovered passed out in a portable toilet. But without the blue-paint antics of Jackass 3D.

I’m sure this isn’t the first time a teen became drunk during a Tailgate at Duke, or at any other college with a football program. But, in this case, it appears that university staff is determined to make a stand against underage drinking in general.

So, the entire tradition of Tailgate events at Duke is over, at least for now.

Is this a case of ‘one bad apple’ or is it ‘the straw that broke the camel’s back’?

Find out more at http://www.insearchofmecafe.com/drinking.html

There’s a highly caffeinated alcoholic beverage out there that’s getting a lot of attention — perhaps of the wrong kind.

Positioned as an ‘alcoholic energy drink,’ Four Loko is said to pack the punch of five light beers and a cup of coffee. The result is said to create a state of ‘wide-awake drunk,’ which can falsely lead consumers into thinking they’re not impaired.

The biggest problem with this product, from my view, is twofold: it’s cheap, and it’s targeted to young consumers with its fruity flavoring and brightly colored packaging. It’s certainly causing problems for college students, so what about teens? This is rocket fuel for underage drinking.

Critics include health professionals, college administrators, attorneys, and at least one state government. Several colleges have banned the beverage from campuses, and now the state of Michigan has officially banned the stuff.

But, really, is there any such thing as ‘bad’ publicity? I certainly hope so.