Is Four Loko a deceitful marketer or the victim of a nanny state?

Thirty-five states’ attorneys general are pushing for stronger packaging and marketing restrictions for the makers of super-sized alcoholic drinks. Is this a hangover cure for consumers, or are they taking it too far?

Last week, WHYY’s Mark Eichmann reported that 35 states’ attorneys general are joining up to urge the federal government to crack down on the “deceptive marketing” of super-sized alcoholic drinks like Four Loko.

The main complaint seems to be about labels. Though the Four Loko label indicates a can contains 12% alcohol by volume, the Federal Trade Commission contends its manufacturer is deceiving its customers by not also disclosing the number of alcohol servings. The cans are marketed as single servings, but at 23.5 ounces a can, the FTC says that’s the equivalent of almost five beers at once.

Do you agree that Four Loko uses deceptivemarketing? Tell us in the comments below.

The FTC wants Phusion, the company that makes Four Loko, to label drinks that contain more than two and a half servings of alcohol and to make the containers resealable so the drinks don’t have to be consumed all at once.

Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden wants the FTC to go further by enforcing smaller cans that contain only two servings, or enforcing the labeling measure for any amount over two servings.

Do you support indicating the number of servings on the label, or do you think smaller or resealable containers are the answer?

Or do you think the government is trying to over-protect consumers? Tell us below.