The Orwellian-named "energy" drinks do provide energy to the consumers, but only because drinks like Monster and Red Bull are packed with sugar. More sugar, it turns out, than 4 large cookies or 11 croissants... in a single can.
As someone who can attend college thanks to the Pell Grant increase, I can say safely that most of the newsworthy legislation I've seen over my my adult life affected hardly anyone I know, at least so far. But energy drinks affect lots of people I know. I would lose face if friends of mine saw this, but it needs to be written.
Millions of Americans consume a product with side-effects that can "include heart palpitations, seizures, strokes and even sudden death". There is no reason why industry should dupe people in this scam.
A rising market:
But Americans aren't about to stop consuming these popular, performance enhancing drinks. In fact, energy drinks are the fastest growing product on the U.S. beverage market, with 2011 sales expected to pass $9 billion.
I know tons of young people, especially young men, who drink or have drank these products. My field biology instructor even slammed one to stay 'refreshed' on the state highways. This is the kind of product that working-class Americans have increasingly relied on in a relentless, frenetic culture that demands more than we can balance with a natural amount of sleep, and finds regular old alcohol to be too slow-paced.
On the heels of several statewide bans on alcoholic energy drinks like Four Loko and Joose, the Food and Drug Administration is expected to weigh in this week on the safety of drinks that mix caffeine and alcohol.
This past weekend, a collective of New York State's largest beer distributors, along with Four Loko–maker Phusion Projects, agreed to stop supplying the drinks to local stores by Dec 10. So far, four other states have banned the drinks outright, following several incidents of serious drunkenness, illness and death. (More on Time.com: 4 Reasons Binge Drinking Is a Public Health Problem)
While banning alcoholic energy drinks was a modest step from the states of Washington et al., the fact is that teenagers and other recreational users will simply mix regular energy drinks and alcohol. Red Bull and vodka is a common variant. The legislation may actually foster only the most modest results.
The time to end this insanity is now, because the longer these products are on the shelves, the more millions of young Americans will grow up consuming them. Our country is the midst of a "growing" diabetes epidemic: the last thing at-risk people need is 'Monster' and 'Full Throttle' diabetes.
And check out this story on dangerous side-effects:
Dakota Sailor, 18, a high school senior in Carl Junction, Mo., says risks linked with energy drinks aren't just hype.
Sailor had a seizure and was hospitalized for five days last year after drinking two large Nos energy drinks — a brand he'd never tried before. He said his doctor thinks caffeine or caffeine-like ingredients may have been to blame.
If you think moderation's up to the consumer's discretion as a matter of personal liberty, well, these drinks pretty much only exist on the basis of systematic disinformation, ignorance and predation on working class Americans--the kind of people who are young, more likely to be black or of other racial minorities, not get a lot of sleep, and not have a lot of money. Cars in the shape of energy drink cans actually travel to campuses and hand out a blitz of media to promote their product.
"These drinks have no benefit, no place in the diet of kids" -- "Dr. Marcie Schneider, an adolescent medicine specialist in Greenwich, Connecticut"
I'm on the side of public health and safety. There have already been over 1000 cases of overdose and side-effects reported to Poison Control Centers. Stand against corporate greed.