Report: More kids who consume alcohol do so by binge drinking

More teens are ending up in emergency rooms as a result of binge drinking on a new alcoholic beverage called Four Loko, LancasterOnline.com reports.

Teens who drink only one can of Four Loko qualify for what the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines as binge drinking. This pattern of excessive alcohol use occurs when drinking brings a person's blood alcohol concentration to 0.08 percent or above. Programs for troubled youth can give those who exhibit this behavior a way to safely use their time and overcome destructive habits.

The beverage is a caffeinated energy drink that has an alcohol content of 12 percent, which is twice the amount found in most beers. According to the NIAAA, consuming a 23.5 ounce can of Four Loko is equal to drinking almost five beers.

Experts say that the beverage is worrisome because the caffeine disguises the effects of the alcohol. Furthermore, people who ingest this drink find that alcohol lingers in their system longer than when they consume other alcoholic beverages.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that about 90 percent of the alcohol ingested by youth in the U.S. is consumed through binge drinking.