Anyone under the age of 19 on Long Island would be banned from buying non-alcoholic energy drinks under a proposal introduced by a Republican lawmaker in the Suffolk County legislature.
The ban, which would be the first of its kind in the country, was introduced on Tuesday by county legislator Lynne Nowick.
“These drinks can potentially be dangerous for teens,” Nowick told WNBC/Channel 4. “Why put foreign things in your body when you don’t know what’s going into them? The drinks are not regulated.”
The ban would target energy drinks with more than 80 milligrams of caffeine per serving such as Red Bull, according to the bill.
The county legislature could vote on the proposal sometime next year.
Energy drinks, especially ones containing alcohol, have come under increased scrutiny over the past few weeks.
Just last month, the Food and Drug Administration issued warning letters to four manufacturers of alcoholic energy drinks often consumed by college students, saying the caffeine added to their beverages is an “unsafe food additive.”
FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said the combinations of caffeine and alcohol in the drinks is a public health concern and can lead to “a state of wide-awake drunk.”
Evidence has shown their consumption has led to alcohol poisoning, car accidents and assaults, she said.
In response to such incidents, four states — Washington, Michigan, Utah and Oklahoma — have banned the beverages.
One of the beverages in question, Four Loko, comes in several varieties, including fruit punch and blue raspberry.
A single-serving 23.5-ounce can sells for about $2.50 and has an alcohol content of 12 percent, comparable to four beers, according to the company’s website.
(Source: NY Post)
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4 Responses
They are turning caffeine into a controlled substance. I know Mormons ban it, but it is otherwise in many foods (chocolate, coffee, among others), and is easily available in pills (e.g. No Doz).
Maybe the legislator has had too much of the wrong brand of coke???
When is the government going to appoint a czar to make us eat our vegetables?
Enough with the nanny state and banning anything that could possibly be bad for you.
We need these drunk drivers and brawlers as they provide organs for transplants after those mishaps.
Lets hear it for the mommy state. & no this lady isn’t CONSERVATIVE, she is a RINO!!
BS”D
After a bad experience when I drank a can or 2 of Red Bull while making a few lechaims, and several unproductive experiments using it to try to get going before netz and get some work done before minyan, I believe these are dangerous products that should be regulated. The energy you get from these drinks is not of any value; you just bounce off the walls for a few hours or more and get nothing of value done as you cannot concentrate. They are just about “legal speed” and really can’t be relied upon for anything other than what teenagers and club goers consider fun. (I would NEVER drink one and try to operate a car afterward; it is a recipe for a crash).
However, a clear label is enough warning. People know why they are buying these products, and if they are over-regulated kids will want to consume more of them illegally.