FOUR LOKO BLAMED FOR THE DEATH OF A 15 YEAR OLD!

A Virginia teen hopped up on two cans of potent party drink Four Loko became paranoid, ran into traffic and was fatally hit by an SUV, a new lawsuit charges.

The parents of 15-year-old Bo Rupp are suing the brew's maker, Phusion Projects of Chicago, blaming it for their son's death on Sept. 25, according the lawsuit filed earlier this week.

The suit says the Centreville, Va., teen and his friends bought the drink at a gas station and then went to a concert, where he was kicked out for being intoxicated.

Rupp was picked up by his mother, but on the way home, he became paranoid and jumped out of the car, according to the suit. He was struck by an SUV and died a day later, according to the Washington Post.

In the lawsuit, the teen's parents claim he had no idea what kind of effect it would have on him.

"It's sweet and fruit and marketed directly at the underage crowd," the family's lawyer Jeffrey Simon said.

Each can of Four Loko - nicknamed "blackout in a can" by some drinkers - contains the same amount of alcohol as approximately five beers and as much caffeine as one cup of Starbucks coffee, which can mask the effects of the alcohol.

The product has since been banned in many states.

Its makers changed its recipe to be safer since it sparked outrage among health officials last year after being blamed for many cases of alcohol poisoning, especially on college campuses.

It is not legal to sell in its original form in New York, as well as many other states.

In her first appearance to publicize the suit, Rupp's mother, Karla, appeared in Chicago to warn about the dangers that the drink poses - especially as prom approaches.

"I want parents to know that this does exist," she said. "I want kids to know that it's very dangerous."

A spokesperson for Phusion Projects said that the teen's death was a tragedy, but the company bore no responsibility and that their product is intended for people of the legal drinking age, 21.

"We are extremely saddened by this tragedy and our thoughts are with the Rupp family," the company said in a statement.
The suit is just one of many recently filed against Phusion Projects.

In 2010, the family of 20-year-old Jason Keiran, who shot and killed himself after binging on the malt liquor beverage, sued the manufacturer and a Florida convenience store.



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