Nearly two months after it was ordered off store shelves in Quebec, it appears the infamous Four Loko beverage can still be found in some places.
Late last fall, Quebec's alcohol and gaming authority (the Régie des Alcools, des Courses et des Jeux) gave the maker of the drink, Cidrerie Solar, 30 days to pull Four Loko and several similar brands from store and depanneur shelves.
Four Loko is popular with teens and young adults — and worrisome for parents and public health officials — because of its high alcohol content (11.9 per cent) and its potential for abuse. Reports of teenagers being hospitalized after consuming one or two pint-sized cans have led to the drink being dubbed 'blackout in a can'.
Under the rules, deps and grocery stores can only sell alcohol products that are the result of malt fermentation, while the alcohol in Four Loko is ethyl alcohol — essentially one part booze added to roughly nine parts carbonated juice.
The Journal de Montréal reports the apparent delay in taking Four Loko off store shelves has to do with Solar going out of business shortly after the order, essentially forcing the Régie to send inspectors out to stores to make sure the products have been pulled.
A spokesperson tells the paper that while most of the products are gone, not all of them are, and that Four Loko is still available in some places.