Starting in March 2018 several retailers and chain supermarkets will be carding people to ensure anyone purchasing energy drinks, with a minimum of 150 mg of caffeine per liter, are 16 years old or older.
This currently isn’t something we practice here in the United States, but with this unraveling of a new rule we’ll be able to witness from afar how this will impact their economy and the public in general.
The decision was made for a few reasons; the drinks themselves advertise that they aren’t intended for children, pregnant, or breast-feeding women, increase erratic & disruptive behavior, full of artificial sweeteners, and are addictive. There is no reason why any human being needs this high amount of caffeine to function properly, and they don’t serve healthy benefits for any individual of any age.
High caffeine intake can have adverse affects on children’s ability to sleep, grow, concentrate, logically process thoughts, and be mindful of their emotional states.
The U.K. doesn’t have a national law in place, but many supermarkets in the U.K. have decided that it’s a social responsibility to ensure that these highly-caffeinated drinks be restricted from children.
The very popular Jaimie Oliver has been a huge supporter in the movement to restrict access to energy drinks and even started the hashtag #NotForKids to promote this casue.
The FDA, in December 2012 which ended in 2006, ran their own investigation into the caffeine consumption within the United States to see how its impacting our youth and overall population. Their research concluded that most caffeine in the United States is consumed by those between the ages of 40 and 59, and men drank more caffeine than women. They also were able to see that females in the 30-39 year age range was double that of the 20-29 age female groups. Another piece of fairly good news is that the majority of the caffeine being consumed in the United States is from coffee and not energy drinks.
While the FDA’s caffeine study didn’t show a large impact on caffeine consumption by those under the age of 16, CNN reported that 40% of the 5,156 calls made to poison control centers were related to “energy drink exposure” which involved kids under age 6. In many cases the parent didn’t know the children got ahold of the energy drinks and the kids were experiencing side effects like seizures, abnormal heart rhythm, and others.
Dr. Lipshults, a Pediatrics Professor at Wayne State University, believes that the consumption is much higher than the FDA or Poision Control Centers have due to parents and individuals withholding this information.
Do you think caffeine consumption by children is an issue in the United States? Leave a comment below and let me know what your thoughts are!
HEALTHY ENERGY DRINK ALTERNATIVES (but still not for kids!)
Ki-Way Pomegranate Natural Energy!
- NATURAL ENERGY BOOST. Guarana and Green Coffee Extract Energize your body and helps you to be ready for the Highest Performance. Contains Natural Caffeine and No Added Sugar.
- NATURAL INGREDIENTS & THE BEST COMBINATION. Made of natural extract of Pomegranate, Guarana, Maqui Berry and Green Coffee, that will keep you energized and take advantage of all the benefits from them.
- ANTI-OXIDANT POWER. Our proprietary blend is jam packed with natural anti-oxidants that help combat free radicals, protect cells from damage and reduce inflammation.
- BENEFITS OF POMEGRANATE. Pomegranate extract contains 3-times more antioxidants than red wine and green tea. It can help your digestive health, arthritic support, heart health and memory health.
- NATURALLY SWEET & LOW CALORIES. Stevia extract gives this drink a natural sweetness with only 22 calories per can and No Added sugar.
RUNA Organic Clean Energy Drink from the Guayusa Leaf, Unsweetened Blood Orange
We call it clean because it’s natural energy from a single ingredient: the guayusa (gwhy-you-sa) leaf. Most energy drinks are a cocktail of hard to pronounce chemicals. This is just a hard to pronounce leaf brewed strong, the way Amazonian tribes brew it before sunrise to feel RUNA – meaning Fully Alive. Since it’s naturally caffeinated and balanced with polyphenols, you get sustained energy and focus without feeling a crash. It’s organic clean energy from a leaf, not a lab.
Bai Cocofusions
Delicious coconut and fruit flavored water drink
Only 5 calories and 1 gram of sugar per serving
Refreshing coconut and fruit flavored drink with no artificial sweeteners
Antioxidant infused coconut flavored water drink
Gluten free, non GMO, vegan, and kosher, with low glycemic index
REFERENCES:
https://www.cnn.com/2014/11/17/health/energy-drink-kids/index.html
Wanderlust & Smoke 