Energy drinks sickened students

ELLENSBURG – Sugary, high-alcohol energy drinks came under renewed scrutiny Monday as investigators announced that nine freshmen had been hospitalized after drinking them at an off-campus party. Washington state Attorney General Rob McKenna called for the drinks to be banned and sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration on Monday, saying the drinks “present a serious threat to public health and safety.” The issue received new attention after the Oct. 8 party in Roslyn, Wash., where responding officers found students from nearby Central Washington University passed out and so intoxicated that investigators thought they had overdosed on drugs. Nine students who drank a caffeinated malt liquor called Four Loko were hospitalized with blood-alcohol levels from 0.12 percent to 0.35 percent, CWU President James L. Gaudino said. A concentration of 0.30 percent is considered potentially lethal.