Energy drinks just keep on getting more caffeinated. Some now boast almost five times the amount of caffeine in soda, and twice that of coffee. A new medical study out of Canada suggests that exposure to these kinds of caffeine levels for kids are dangerous – and not just for their parent’s nerves.
The Canadian Medical Association Journal published a sharply critical op-ed about the importance of getting these drinks out of the hands of children as part of a push to more closely regulate the drinks and make sure they aren’t marketed or sold to kids and teens.
“Strict regulations are required if business practices and consumer trends are not curbed,” the article argues.
Refreshments Canada, an association representing drink manufacturers, said the companies in question don’t market to kids and handle their sales responsibly, the Toronto Globe and Mail reported.
“Energy drinks are intended for adults and clearly indicate on the label that this category of beverage is not recommended for children, pregnant or breastfeeding women and people who are sensitive to caffeine,” Refreshments Canada President Justin Sherwood wrote in a letter to CMAJ in response to the op-ed.
Should drinks with sky high caffeine levels be restricted by the government in order to prevent teens from drinking them? Probably not. Should parents think about their children’s caffeine intake and make sure that their teens know how caffeine works and how to avoid using it in ways that might cause dangerous side effects? Definitely.
