Ninety nine drug abuse and addiction experts have signed a letter, authored by Roland Griffiths, Ph.D., to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Griffiths is a professor of behavioral science and neuroscience at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. It asked for mandatory warning labels, and restrictions on the manner in which the product is marketed.
Their hope is to make it a little harder for American teens to party like a ‘Rockstar.’ This comes after a study by Johns Hopkins University, questioning the safety of caffeine rich energy drinks. The study was published on the ScienceDirect website and in the September 2008 edition of the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
Caffeine content in soft drinks is regulated by the FDA and is limited to no more than 71 milligrams of caffeine in a 12 ounce serving. A 12 ounce can of Coke contains 34.5 milligrams; Pepsi contains 38 milligrams per 12 ounce can; Mountain Dew has 54 ounces in a 12 ounce serving. Most energy drinks contain considerably more caffeine than the average soda. Red Bull has 80 milligrams of caffeine per 8.3 ounce serving; Tab Energy has 95 per 10.5 ounce serving; Monster and Rockstar have 160 milligrams in a 16 ounce serving; No Fear has 174 milligrams per 16 ounce serving; Wired X505 has a whopping 505 milligrams of caffeine per 24 ounce serving.
Depending on the user’s body weight and tolerance, ingesting 300 milligrams or more of caffeine can produce symptoms that are similar to overdoses of other stimulants. Caffeine intoxication can include insomnia, irritability, restlessness, excitement and increased urination. If the dose is significantly larger it can cause mania, depression, delusions and disorientation. In severe cases, an overdose of caffeine can cause death. Rob Stein, a writer for the Washington Post, noted that poison control centers reported at least 41 cases of caffeine intoxication from energy drinks between 2002 and 2004.
Manufacturers don’t come right out and suggest you mix an energy drink with alcohol but some of their slogans endorse an extreme lifestyle and encourage reckless behaviors. If you or a loved one has a problem with addiction, call A Better Tomorrow, and get on the road to recovery.
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My kids suck these down like water. I had no idea they contained so much caffiene. It's pretty hard to monitor them since they buy the stuff themselves, but I am going to have a talk with them this evening. They may not even be aware of what they are drinking. It's the in thing to do.
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