Should Kids Be Banned From Buying Energy Drinks?
During a recent trip to a convenience store my 14-year-old asked me the question every modern parent dreads: “Can I try a Red Bull?” Sure, I’ve been known to down an energy drink every once in a while, but I also know that all the caffeine and sugar in them aren't good for kids. I explained this to my son, and he told me that lots of kids his age consume energy drinks. And they don’t need a parent around to purchase them.
Across the pond in the U.K., the freedom children and teens have to buy buzz-causing beverages is coming under fire from health advocacy group Action on Sugar. In a report released on Thursday, the group recommended that because of energy drinks' high sugar and caffeine content, sales of them should be prohibited to children under 16.
The organization is a collaboration of prominent health specialists who have been working with the British government and the food industry to reduce the amount of sweet stuff in processed foods. Its researchers analyzed the sugar content of 197 brands of energy drinks available at grocery stores in the U.K., including Monster and Red Devil, which is just beginning to be sold in the U.S. They found that some of the beverages have as many as 20 teaspoons of sugar and as much caffeine as two cups of coffee.
“Children are being deceived into drinking large cans of this stuff thinking they are going to improve their performance at school, during sports or even on a night out,” Graham MacGregor, the chairman of Action on Sugar and a professor of cardiovascular medicine at Queen Mary University of London, said in a statement. “In reality all they are doing is increasing their risk of developing obesity or type 2 diabetes, which will have lifelong implications on their health. Type 2 diabetes is a leading cause of blindness, limb amputation, and kidney dialysis—hardly the image of a healthy, active person, ” MacGregor added.
Health professionals in the U.S. share those concerns about energy drinks. In a paper published in 2011 in the journal Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that energy drinks never be consumed by children or teenagers. According to the AAP’s researchers, the large amount of caffeine and other stimulants in the beverages “has been linked to a number of harmful health effects in children, including effects on the developing neurologic and cardiovascular systems.”
The British Soft Drinks Association dismissed the report’s concerns. "BSDA members do not promote energy drinks to children under 16 and all products are clearly labelled in compliance with EU regulations,” BBC News reported the organization as saying.
Here in the States, however, energy drink companies regularly sponsor sporting events that large numbers of children watch, such as the X Games. Sure, adults watch too, but impressionable youths are a key demographic for extreme sports competitions on television. The marketing efforts certainly seem similar to the way e-cigarette manufacturers sell kid-friendly bubble gum and cotton candy flavors.
The British government hasn't indicated whether it will follow through with a ban on sales of energy drinks to minors. But given how seriously it's cracking down on cigarettes, perhaps the days of youngsters independently purchasing one of the caffeine and sugar-laden beverages are numbered.
Original article from TakePart
