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01-09-2023, 08:15 AM
UPDATED AUG 31, 2023, 9:23 AM SGT
WASHINGTON – Paediatricians and parents are calling for the United States to treat new high-caffeine energy drinks like alcohol and cigarettes and ban their sale to minors as a single serving can contain as much caffeine as six Coca-Colas.
Prime Energy, which launched in 2023, has 200mg of caffeine within its 350ml can – exceeding permissible caffeine levels in Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Rival products such as Anheuser Busch InBev-backed Ghost energy drinks and reality TV star Kim Kardashian’s “Kimade” energy drink also have 200mg of caffeine.
Competitor Monster Energy contains 150mg of caffeine.
As caffeine content in energy drinks has climbed over the years, some countries and retailers have banned the products, while a few require proof of age for purchase.
In the US and Britain, no national regulations ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks.
Without legal age mandates like those on alcohol and cigarettes, retailers are unlikely to restrict access, said Dr Holly Benjamin, a professor of pediatrics and orthopedic surgery at the University of Chicago.
According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, there is no proven safe dose of caffeine for children.
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Side effects for children consuming caffeine could include rapid or irregular heartbeats, headaches, seizures, shaking, stomach upset and adverse emotional effects on mental health, she said.
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/unite...o-children
WASHINGTON – Paediatricians and parents are calling for the United States to treat new high-caffeine energy drinks like alcohol and cigarettes and ban their sale to minors as a single serving can contain as much caffeine as six Coca-Colas.
Prime Energy, which launched in 2023, has 200mg of caffeine within its 350ml can – exceeding permissible caffeine levels in Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Rival products such as Anheuser Busch InBev-backed Ghost energy drinks and reality TV star Kim Kardashian’s “Kimade” energy drink also have 200mg of caffeine.
Competitor Monster Energy contains 150mg of caffeine.
As caffeine content in energy drinks has climbed over the years, some countries and retailers have banned the products, while a few require proof of age for purchase.
In the US and Britain, no national regulations ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks.
Without legal age mandates like those on alcohol and cigarettes, retailers are unlikely to restrict access, said Dr Holly Benjamin, a professor of pediatrics and orthopedic surgery at the University of Chicago.
According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, there is no proven safe dose of caffeine for children.
......
Side effects for children consuming caffeine could include rapid or irregular heartbeats, headaches, seizures, shaking, stomach upset and adverse emotional effects on mental health, she said.
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/unite...o-children
