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children under 16 years, pregnant women and individuals sensitive to caffeine. Consumers should also be advised that caution be exercised in the consumption of stimulant drinks with alcohol or in association with sport, and the products should carry a clear statement on the label to this effect. children under 16 years, pregnant women and individuals Lancet clearly states that the drinks have three principal sensitive to caffeine. Consumers should also be advised that constituents: caffeine, taurine and glucuronolactone. There is caution be exercised in the consumption of stimulant drinks with about 75 mg of caffeine in 200 mL of a stimulant drink, compared alcohol or in association with sport, and the products should carry with about 21 mg in the same measure of a cola drink and 80 mg a clear statement on the label to this effect. in a cup of filtered coffee. Now that stimulant drink-makers are offering bigger cans with higher caffeine content—perhaps as a Branding for the wrong reasons drive to push sales—the caffeine intake is set to increase. Sadly, young consumers of stimulant drinks still continue to In fact, the CSPI has cited bigger serving sizes as a major mix these with alcohol and even other drugs. And why blame our _ reason for increased consumption. In the past 40 years, bottles youth when companies like Anheuser-Busch and Miller Brewing and cans have ballooned from 6% fluid ounces (fl. oz.) [192 mL] now produce several "energy beers"—beers to 12 fl. oz. [355 mL] and recently to 20 fl. containing caffeine. Red Bull—which has oz [591 mL]. Interestingly, back in the garnered 26.5 per cent of the US energy 1950s, Coke's "family size" bottle was only drink market measured by volume **— ... all consumers of 26 fl. oz. [0.769 L]. The CSPI has dubbed continues tobe mixed wth vodka + | energy drinks, whether ff 7Elcvers ¢¢ouncs (1.9L 60sor "Friday Flattener" or a "Dirty Pompadour". young or old, ingest Caffeine is associated with a number of Same ink ae named somatic | “huge quantities of flames ster neni eh example of the Cocaine Energy Drink caffeine. blood cholesterol level, vitamin and mineral which was launched recently: the name is depletion, breast lumps and birth defects are suggestive and coined to draw a young just afew. Caffeine is said to stimulate the clientele.* adrenal gland such that when ingested in No wonder then that the energy drinks industry has grown to large amounts it can lead to adrenal exhaustion, especially in US$3.4 billion and is steadily rising. Simmons Research reports children. that 31 per cent of US teenagers say they drink energy drinks. What consumers of both regular sodas and energy drinks should This translates to 7.6 million teens, implying an increase of almost know, however, is that a Johns Hopkins University School of three million in only three years. Medicine taste study in 2000 suggests that caffeine is added to Besides suggesting that these drinks quicken weight loss and soda in order to addict drinkers. The danger is that you wouldn't offer instant energy, Dr McCarthy's aforementioned study know you were slowly being addicted to caffeine. The research indicates that young adults are attracted to energy drinks for the team found that only eight per cent of regular cola consumers legal high they infuse when gulped down one after another. detected a flavour difference at the caffeine concentration found in popular colas. Thus, the researchers concluded that "the high Warnings on caffeine addiction consumption rates of caffeine-containing soft drinks are more Kids don't really feel they're doing anything wrong. In truth, likely to reflect the mood-altering and physical dependence— though, all consumers of energy drinks, whether young or old, producing effects of caffeine as a central nervous system-active ingest huge quantities of caffeine. Karen Birchard's article in the drug than its subtle effects as a flavoring agent".” energy drinks, whether young or old, ingest huge quantities of caffeine. Warnings on caffeine addiction Kids don't really feel they're doing anything wrong. In truth, though, all consumers of energy drinks, whether young or old, ingest huge quantities of caffeine. Karen Birchard's article in the http://www. hon.ch/News/HSN/535373.htm! http:/www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s1 07-745 18. CSPI, "Soft Drinks Undermining Americans’ Health: Teens http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200605/050306c.html Consuming Twice as Much ‘Liquid Candy’ as Milk", 1998, 29. Valentine, "Soft Drinks", op. cit. http://www.cspinet.org/new/soda_10_21_98.htm 30. Environmental Working Group, "A National Assessment of Tap 19. CSPI, "Soft Drinks Undermining Americans’ Health, op. cit. Water Quality, 20 December 2005, 20. Cohen, Ronnie, "Schoolhouse Rot", Mother Jones, 10 January 2001, —http://(www.ewg.org/tapwater/findings.php reprinted at http://www.mercola.com/2001/jan/14/soda_dangers.htm 31. "The Street Fight’, Down to Earth, 15 August 2006, 21. Critser, Greg, Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People _ http:/www.downtoearth.org.in/cover.asp?FolderName= in the World, Houghton Mifflin, New York, 2003, quoted in Adams, 20060815&FileNAme=news&sid=70&sec_id=9 Mike, "The health effects of drinking soda — quotes from the experts',8 32. CSE, "CSE releases new study on pesticides in soft drinks", 23 January 2005, http://www.newstarget.com/004416.html November 2006, http://www.cseindia.org/misc/cola-indepth/cola2006/ 22. CSPI, "Soft Drinks Undermining Americans’ Health, op. cit. cola-index.htm 23. Nestle, Marion, Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences 33. Valentine, "Soft Drinks", op. cit. Nutrition and Health (book three in the California Studies in Food and 34. CDR (Commission on Dietetic Registration), Culture series) University of California Press, 2002, quoted in Adams, http:/Avww.cdrnet.org/wtmgmt/CertificateOfTraining.htm; Mike, "The health effects of drinking soda’, op. cit. WebMD, "Why Are Our Kids Overweight?", 24. Valentine, Judith, PhD, CNA, CNC, "American Trends: The http://www.webmd.com/content/pages/18/101908.htm Dangers of Soft Drinks", http/www.ghchealth.com/soft-drinks- 35. Partnership for a Healthy West Virginia, "The Burden of Obesity", america.html; also see Doehrman, Marylou, "Marketing company http:/Awww.healthywv.com/data/burden_of_obesity.aspx; brings business partners to schools", Colorado Springs Business Journal, __ Schreiner, Barb, RN, MN, "Promoting Lifestyle and Behavior Change in 14 November 2003, at http’/findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4190/ Overweight Children and Adolescents with Type 2 Diabetes", Diabetes is 20031114/ai_n10044767 Spectrum 2005; 18:9-12, http://spectrum.diabetesjournals.org/cgi/ 25. CSPI, "Soft Drinks Undermining Americans’ Health", op. cit. content/full/18/1/9 26. Valentine, "Soft Drinks", op. cit. 36. Mercola with Droege, "The Real Dangers of Soda...", op. cit. 27. Cohen, "Schoolhouse Rot", op. cit. 37. Simontacchi, Carol, The Crazy Makers: How the Food Industry Is 28. Senator Patrick Leahy press release, 6 April 2001, Destroying Our Brains and Harming Our Children, Jeremy P. Tarcher, http:/leahy.senate.gov/press/200104/010409c.html; also see New York, 2000, quoted in Adams, Mike, "The health effects of 32 = NEXUS ... all consumers of www.nexusmagazine.com FEBRUARY — MARCH 2007