Should energy drinks have health warning labels?
A group of researchers says yes. And it’s not just because a jolt of Red Bull will allow your teen to play video games all night.
Energy drinks should warn consumers about the health risks of caffeine intoxication, according to a study from Johns Hopkins University researchers. The condition can cause anxiety, tremors, rapid heartbeats and in a few cases, death.
The caffeine content of energy drinks such as Full Throttle and Monster can vary from 50 milligrams to more than 500 milligrams per serving. Compare that to a regular 12-oz soda, which has about 35 milligrams of caffeine.
Many college students mix alcohol with the energy drinks. “Alcohol adds another level of danger,” said Roland Griffiths, a professor of behavioral biology, told the New York Times. “Caffeine in high doses can give users a false sense of alertness that provides incentive to drive a car or in other ways put themselves in danger.”
The American Beverage Association responds that the researchers are focusing on “novelty brands” rather than mainstream energy drinks, which it says contain moderate amounts of caffeine.
