Just as the Four Loko craze has died down after an FDA ban, college students have found a new alcoholic fad- alcohol-infused whipped cream.
While this new treat comes in spray cans that look liked any generic can of whipped cream, “whipahol” is far from your ordinary Reddi-wip.
USC student David Fine shares his experience with "whipahol." (Video by Lauren Furniss, ATVN)
Products like Cream and Whipped Lightning contain up to 18% alcohol, which is equivalent to the alcohol content of 3 beers.
The alcoholic whipped cream comes in a variety of flavors, such as White Chocolate Raspberry, Coconut and Amaretto, and can be purchased at liquor stores or online for $10-$13 dollars.
Both Cream and Whipped Lightning recommend adding their products to jello shots and shooters, raising concerns about alcohol abuse among health experts.
As whipahol is considered a food, rather than an alcoholic beverage, it is not regulated by the FDA and thus, not required to reveal its nutritional information beyond alcohol content.
Doctors and public health officials have voiced concerns about the product’s appeal to younger drinkers, with its variety of flavors and sweet taste.
“There are so many different alcohol trends out there,” said Dr. Michael Siegel to the Boston Herald. “What we need is a good surveillance system to monitor these things.” Siegel is a professor of Public Health at Boston University.
