Now caffeine's turn: Scientist urges for energy drink regulation

Now caffeine's turn: Scientist urges for energy drink regulation:

In a frantic desperation to stay awake, Americans frequently optfor highly caffeinated energy drinks such as Monster and 5-hourEnergy shots. Filled with sugar and 240 milligrams of caffeine –which is seven times the dose found in a regular can of soda –Monster energy drinks have recently been investigated for causingfive deaths and one non-fatal heart attack in the US, APreports.
Consuming too much caffeine can be fatal: in 2011, 20,783 peoplewere hospitalized for overdosing on energy drinks, the SubstanceAbuse and Mental Health Services Administration reports. This ismore than twice as high as the 10,068 that were hospitalized in2007.
The increasing trend of caffeine poisoning in the US hasprompted at least one scientist to call for the regulation of thesubstance. Jack E. James, editor-in-chief of Journal of CaffeineResearch, said lawmakers need to consider the high number ofcaffeine-related deaths and near-deaths in the US in order tounderstand the need for regulation.
The lethal dose of caffeine for adults is estimated to beapproximately 10 grams. While consuming several cups of coffee isusually harmless, combining caffeine with other substances, likealcohol or prescription drugs, can be dangerous. And with thepresence of caffeine in a range of foods and drinks including beerand liquor, flavored milk, sunflower seeds, chewing gum, chocolate,ice cream, and cereal, it’s almost impossible to keep track of theamount of caffeine a person consumes each day.
In an editorial published Monday, James argues that as thenumber of caffeine-related hospitalizations increase, lawmakers arepaying less attention to the idea of regulating caffeine.
“Armed with improved knowledge of caffeine toxicity and facedwith extensive evidence of substantial harm to public health,today’s authorities appear more perplexed and less decisive thantheir counterparts of more than a century earlier,” Jameswrites. “In light of current international befuddlement andinaction, legislators, policy makers, and regulators of todayconfront a stark question – how many caffeine-related fatalitiesand near-misses must there be before we regulate?”
In 1911, federal agents seized quantities of Coca-Cola syrup anddeclared its caffeine content a threat to public health. Inresponse, Coco-Cola was required to lower its caffeine content, orelse face legal action. James believes that similar initiativesshould be taken with energy drinks today – especially since thereis a greater knowledge base about the effect of the substance.
“The absence of a discernible policy framework for addressingsuch concerns continues to be an obstacle to needed action,”James writes.
While caffeine addicts may not be too pleased with thescientist’s report, not all American lawmakers are opposed to theidea of regulation. US Sens. Dick Durbin and Richard Blumenthallast year proposed that the Food and Drug Administration restrictcaffeine levels in energy drinks. The call to action came after atleast 13 deaths had been tied to the consumption of 5-hour Energyshots.
But because energy drinks are classified as “food supplements”,FDA limits on caffeine levels in beverages have no effect on“substances” like Monster, Full Throttle, Red Bull and 5-hourEnergy. The FDA limits caffeine levels in beverages to about 70milligrams per 12 ounces. But food supplements like energy drinksare not required to follow this rule.
“There’s increasing evidence of the very urgent and dangerousthreat posed by these drinks because of their high levels ofcaffeine, which are often undisclosed, and the effects of combiningthat caffeine with other ingredients,” Blumenthal told FoxNews.
And although there are presently no major initiatives torestrict the legal limits of caffeine in beverages, the scientist'sreport sheds further light on a problem that has been ongoing fordecades -- especially among those who overestimate theirlimits.