Pop ban proposed for city vending machines

City council will hear a proposal to ban soft drinks in parks and rec facilities next month.

On Tuesday, the government management committee voted to turn down the staff recommendation and allow half of the drinks in city vending machines to contain added sugar.

If adopted, the city would stock its vending machines only with two per cent milk or soy milk and 100 per cent fruit or vegetable juice – an attempt to curb obesity and offer healthy options.

Energy drinks, pop and flavoured water would be gone by November 2014, and until then, only be allowed in 355 ml bottles or smaller.

The five-year contract came up for renewal last October, but city council postponed its decision so it could consider a study from the Medical Officer of Health.

Bottled water was banned from city facilities in December 2008 to reduce waste, but will still be sold until the end of this year when tap water and fountains can be made available.

To read the proposal, click here.

Source: www.citytv.com

Energy drinks harmful for kids

Primary school children, who drink caffeine-packed energy drinks for breakfast are at risk of heart damage, doctors have warned.

Students as young as 10 are snapping up at least two cans at a time on their way to school, lured by special offers at many convenience stores.

Two cans of the energy drinks can have the same caffeine content as five cups of coffee.

Just one energy drink can cause “serious heart conditions”.

The Australian Medical Association has issued warnings for adults to limit their consumption.

A recent health test performed in Sydney on 19 to 21-year-olds highlighted the massive jolt to the heart from these drinks. One 19-year-old had a resting heart rate of 82 beats a minute. Half an hour later, after consuming a Mother, it hit 106.

A Queensland Health spokeswoman said the effects of two energy drinks on a child weighing less than 30kg could be dangerous.

“Current evidence suggests that 75mg of caffeine per day from all food and drink sources is the limit for a 30kg child,” the Courier Mail quoted Queensland Health as saying in a statement.

The study has been published in the American Journal of Medicine.

ANI

Source: www.zeenews.com

Research links energy drinks with health risks

A review of the effects of high-caffeine energy drinks on children and young adults suggests they may be linked to health risks as serious as heart palpitations, high blood pressure, cardiac arrest and death.

The review, published in February in Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, analyzed scientific reports in medical journals, newspaper articles and regulatory steps taken in other countries regarding high-caffeine energy drinks.

Officials with the American Beverage Association, however, said the study presents some misinformation about energy drinks, claiming an average drink contains only half the caffeine of a cup of coffeehouse coffee.

“It’s a hot college topic,” said Shannon Kirkpatrick, health promotion specialist for GatorWell Health Promotion Services. “I have had a lot of students ask me about energy drinks. They have packed schedules and think it’s good to find something that provides a boost.”

The study defines energy drinks as drinks that “contain caffeine, taurine, sugars and sweeteners, herbal supplements, and other ingredients and are distinct from sports drinks and vitamin waters.”

The study concluded that 31 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds and 34 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds reported regularly consuming energy drinks.

“I have them about every other week,” political science freshman Max Goldstein said. “It keeps me awake for tailgates … and when I have to be up all day.”

An average energy drink contains 70 to 80 milligrams of caffeine per 8-ounce serving, about three times the concentration of cola drinks.

Energy drinks are classified as dietary supplements, so the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cannot limit their caffeine content, as they do with juice and soft drinks, which are categorized as food.

In addition, U.S. poison centers have not yet been able to monitor the number of overdoses associated with energy drinks because these episodes are classified as “caffeine” or “multi-substance exposure.”

But Kirkpatrick said overdosing is possible.

“Dehydration, vomiting, upset stomach, irregular heartbeat and, as seen lately in the media, even coma and death can occur,” she said.

Source: www.alligator.org

Your Teen’s Energy Drink May Be Out to Get Them

How much caffeine is too much?

Energy drink sales up, despite health concerns

Sales of energy drinks and shots are soaring, even as there are growing health concerns given the popularity of the high-caffeine drinks among young people.

The dollar value of energy drink sales rose 13.3 percent last year, thanks in part to a “significant boost” from “energy shot” sales at convenience stores, according to a report from the market research firm SymphonyIRI Group.

American Beverage Association science chief Maureen Storey says energy drinks are no worse than coffee. A 16-ounce cup of Starbucks’ Pike Place coffee, for instance, has 330 mg of caffeine. That size of latte has 160 mg — the same as a 16-ounce can of the energy drink Monster Energy, which bills itself as “a killer energy brew” that “you can really pound down.”

The federal Food and Drug Administration limits caffeine in soft drinks to 71 mg for 12 ounces but doesn’t regulate the caffeine in energy drinks, coffee or tea.

The American Association of Poison Control Centers redeived 340 reports from January through March 3 of energy-drink incidents, most of them minor. A recent report in the journal Pediatrics warned about links between caffeine in energy drinks, high blood pressure, increased alcohol consumption and even addiction among young people.

Gannett News Service

Source: www.suntimes.com

The truth about energy drinks

Source: wwlp.com

CHICOPEE, Mass. (Mass Appeal) – Energy drinks are a popular beverage these days. In some cases, they’ve taken the place of coffee as a morning pick-me-up. Some people may even drink them like soda. But there are some potential health risks says Nancy Dell, registered dietitian.

They contain a lot of caffeine. Usually in the form of gerranna. So you won’t see caffeine necessarily on the label. The caffeine can increase blood pressure and increase your heart rate.

In fact in a study done that was presented at the American Heart Association conference, the study was done with 26-year-olds. Their heart rate went up an average of six beats per minute and their blood pressure 8%. Imagine a younger child smaller consuming these drinks. It’s generally the caffeine that will be the biggest problem.

There’s a lot of sugar, it says actually for the label that this is two servings. You’re going to actually drink more than just one serving. You’re drinking two servings. They may have 50 grams of sugar in one serving. You can get an awful lot of sugar in there. For a visual, think that 5 grams is a teaspoon. You can be getting 10 to 20 teaspoons of sugar in one of these.

The most popular one actually is red bull. I remember being at a diabetes walk and they were giving them out. Some young kids were feeling anxious and wired. You definitely need to be careful.

Drinking these with alcohol, combining them with alcohol. How does that add to the risk?

College kids can do that. What it does is as a matter of fact, how intoxicated you are. In other words, you feel less drunk. So you can actually consume more alcohol and as a result get alcohol poisoning. People have ended up in the emergency room combing the two.

You feel like you still have lots of energy and you’re ready to go and you’re not feeling kind of the lull of the alcohol.

How to maximize energy naturally

• Get 8-9 hours of sleep
• Drink two cups of fluid when you wake
• Eat protein and carbs at breakfast
• Avoid skipping meals
• Drink 8 cups of fluid a day
• Avoid sugary snacks

Virginia High School League Bans Energy Drinks

Energy drinks came under the scrutiny of the Virginia High School League last week as the policy committee met to discuss the use of these popular beverages by student athletes.  At the September 22 meeting the VHSL Executive Committee passed an energy drink policy which went into effect immediately for all VHSL member schools. The VHSL, which oversees all public schools in Virginia, considered the proposal after it was recommended by its Sports Medicine Advisory Committee.

The rule stipulates that “athletes not consume energy drinks during participation in VHSL practices and competition, “ because of “potential serious safety and health issue.” The penalty for violation of this rule is a warning to the member school, but stricter penalties could follow.

The action is in response to growing concern that consumption may be unsafe for adolescent athletes. These beverages are often being used by students for fluid replacement when they are in fact unsuitable for fluid replacement after strenuous activity. The high levels of caffeine in the beverages act as a diuretic when the body is at rest, thus inhibiting the body’s ability to re-hydrate after exercise. There is also a concern over the lack of regulatory control over energy drinks, specifically that their content and purity cannot be ensured.  This may lead to adverse side-effects, for student athletes or positive drug tests.

The National Federation of State High School Associations, in its position statement on energy drinks reported that in 2006, “over 7 million adolescents reported that they had consumed and energy drink.” The widespread usage has brought national focus to the issue. Virginia’s ban, was based on the NFHS position statement, and states:

• Energy drinks should not be used for hydration.
• Energy drinks should not be consumed by athletes who are dehydrated.
• There is no regulatory control over energy drinks, thus their content and purity cannot be ensured. This may lead to adverse side-effects, potentially harmful interactions with prescription medications (particularly stimulant medications used to treat ADHD), or positive drug tests.

In the policy statement Energy Drinks are defined as drinks advertised as boosting energy.  These drinks do not emphasize energy derived from the calories they contain but rather through a choice of caffeine, vitamins and herbal supplements the manufacturer has combined. Some common examples of energy drinks are Amp, Monster and Red Bull.

These are not to be confused with Fluid Replacement Drinks or drinks used to replenish body fluid after exercise. Fluid Replacement Drinks are defined as drinks that are designed to replace energy and electrolytes, used to assist the body in recovering from exercise. Some common examples of Fluid Replacement Drinks are Gatorade and Powerade.

Soft drinks such as Coke and Pepsi,  while not fluid replacement drinks,  are not classified as energy drinks either.

The new rule was adopted by a vote of 24-2. Schools will now need to implement educational plans for students and parents and coaches to ensure compliance with the new policy.

Ministry calls for caution?in sale of energy drinks

Source: khaleejtimes.com

24 September 2010, Residents have welcomed the new rules set by the Ministry of Economy (MoE) with regard to the sale of energy drinks. Wholesale suppliers of these drinks have been told to place warning advertisements on the packaging of all their products so as to protect the consumers.

Mohammed Hamdan, an Emirati resident of Khozam said placing such warnings was a good decision. “Many people, especially pregnant women, children, those with heart diseases and others who are said to be adversely affected by certain energy beverages have been consuming them without knowing that they are risky,” said Hamdan.

Omar Khalid, an Egyptian expatriate who lives in the Nakheel area said he had been consuming energy drinks since several years, but he was unaware of the risks involved, especially when there were health problems.

“I hear people talking of certain risks involved in the excessive use of some energy drinks, but I have never taken the trouble to know more about them. I know there are many people like me who do not know the negative effects of such drinks. Committing the suppliers to place warning advertisements will help many people, especially those with health problems,” said Khalid.  The MoE on Wednesday met a number of wholesale suppliers of energy drinks across the country in its bid to implement the rules. Dr Hashim Al Nuaimi, director of consumer protection at MoE, said that after the meeting, the ministry had notified all local departments concerned with handling the sale of energy drinks to make sure the new specifications were in place by October 29.

He stressed that consumers would be educated through brochures and posters on the risk of certain energy drinks for pregnant women, children less than 16 years, people suffering from heart diseases and those with caffeine allergies and athletes.

Al Nuaimi said that the ministry would meet again with outlets to ensure their commitment to allocate a special place for the sale of energy drinks and to develop specific guidelines in Arabic and other languages that will clarify details about the drinks.

According to the official, after the ministry received reports about the death of some people in certain countries due to consumption of energy drinks, the Higher Committee for Consumer Protection had recommended the need to identify specific criteria for the sale and consumption of such drinks across the country.

Energy drinks banned from high school practices, games

Source: dailyprogress.com

Friday night’s high school football games went on like any normal Friday — with one exception.

The set of games was the first football Friday to be affected by a rule passed by the Virginia High School League at Wednesday’s executive committee meeting. The committed passed emergency legislation, effective immediately, to ban the use of energy drinks by student-athletes during games and practices.

According to a PowerPoint presentation prepared by the VHSL Sports Medicine Committee, the rule was recommended because of issues of hydration and caffeine level. The presentation cited “potential for significant medical consequences.”

The first violation of the rule will result in an official warning issued by the VHSL. Stricter penalties could follow for repeat offenders.

“The safety of the athletes was the overwhelming rationale for approval of the recommendation,” Tom Dolan, co-director of athletics for the VHSL, told the Baltimore Sun. “We’ve been fortunate up to this point, but is it prudent for us to wait to see if we have an issue before we do something about this? For me, the answer is absolutely not. They’re our student-athletes. We have an obligation to protect them.”

The committee cited Red Bull, Monster and Rockstar as examples of drinks banned under the new rule. The committee’s recommendation states: “There is no regulatory control over energy drinks, thus their content and purity cannot be ensured.”

The committee noted that “energy drinks should not be used for hydration” while citing the drinks’ high level of caffeine.

According to mayoclinic.com, Coca-Cola Classic and Pepsi both contain just under three milligrams of caffeine per fluid ounce. Red Bull and Rockstar contain just under nine milligrams per ounce, while Monster contains just under 10.

Many area coaches said they discouraged their athletes from using energy drinks before the ban.

“It’s kind of surprising,” said Monticello High School volleyball coach John Mitchem. “With our volleyball program, I don’t see it with the kids at all, but that’s not to say you don’t see it with other sports. You see it around a bit.”

Charlottesville High School cross country coach Amy Pritchard said: “Really, I try to get my kids not even to drink caffeine, and [energy drinks contain] double, triple, quadruple caffeine. It’s not something that I’ve really talked about, honestly.”

Mitchem, a former assistant coach at James Madison University, said that in his experience, use of energy drinks was much more prevalent at the collegiate level. The NCAA bans stimulants, including caffeine, at concentrations exceeding 15 micrograms per milliliter in urine.

“At JMU, we had to ban it with our volleyball athletes,” Mitchem said. “They take it pregame, and about halfway through, the rush would wear off and they would bottom out. … We had to do the same thing with coffee. When we were playing in tournaments, with all the free coffee you can drink, we’d see the same thing. We had to ban them from Starbucks.”

Energy drinks can cause ‘serious heart conditions’ in children

Primary school children, who drink caffeine-packed energy drinks for breakfast are at risk of heart damage, doctors have warned.

Students as young as 10 are snapping up at least two cans at a time on their way to school, lured by special offers at many convenience stores.

Two cans of the energy drinks can have the same caffeine content as five cups of coffee.

Just one energy drink can cause “serious heart conditions”.

The Australian Medical Association has issued warnings for adults to limit their consumption.

A recent health test performed in Sydney on 19 to 21-year-olds highlighted the massive jolt to the heart from these drinks. One 19-year-old had a resting heart rate of 82 beats a minute. Half an hour later, after consuming an energy drink, it hit 106.

A Queensland Health spokeswoman said the effects of two energy drinks on a child weighing less than 30kg could be dangerous.

“Current evidence suggests that 75mg of caffeine per day from all food and drink sources is the limit for a 30kg child,” the Courier Mail quoted Queensland Health as saying in a statement.

The study has been published in the American Journal of Medicine.

Energy drinks pose serious health risk to kids: Canadian medical journal

Samm Robbins, 14, enjoys the occasional energy drink but sees it taking hold of people her age who become far to reliant on the beverage’s buzz. Nina Linton/For the Globe and Mail

Federal minister of health needs to be ‘awakened’ to danger of sky-high caffeine levels

Carly Weeks

From Tuesday’s Globe and Mail Published on Monday, Jul. 26, 2010 12:43PM EDT Last updated on Tuesday, Jul. 27, 2010 9:22PM EDT

A critical editorial published by Canada’s leading medical journal is the latest move a mounting effort to convince the federal government to crack down on the sale of caffeinated energy drinks to minors.

Energy drinks that contain high amounts of caffeine – some more than five times the amount in a can of cola, or nearly double the amount in a cup of brewed coffee – can pose serious health risks to children and adolescents and require stronger warning labels, according to the Canadian Medical Association Journal’s editorial.

“It is time for the federal minister of health to be awakened and alerted to concerns about energy drinks sold to children,” states the editorial, written by Noni MacDonald, section editor of population and public health at CMAJ, Matthew Stanbrook, CMAJ’s deputy editor, scientific, and editor-in-chief Paul Hébert.

“Strict regulations are required if business practices and consumer trends are not curbed.”

The editorial comes as an increasing number of health experts and consumer advocates are urging action.

The Medical Society of Prince Edward Island has been pushing for the province to restrict the sale of caffeinated energy drinks to young people.

The House of Commons health committee has also been investigating the use of caffeine in energy drinks and other carbonated beverages. In June, it heard from a man named James Shepherd who said his 15-year-old son died from an unexplained arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) in 2008 after he had consumed a Red Bull energy drink. He said he believes the drink contributed to his son’s death.

Chris Turner, Health Canada’s director-general of the marketed health products directorate, said the department has received several dozen reports of adverse reactions linked to energy drinks, and that 15 of them were cardiac events.

Red Bull is one well known example of a caffeinated energy drink. But as the market has exploded in recent years, a growing number of products that deliver high levels of caffeine are available.

Unlike cola drinks or similar carbonated beverages, energy drinks usually contain much higher levels of caffeine.

For instance, a 250-ml bottle of Coca-Cola contains 26 milligrams of caffeine, according to the company’s web site. But a 75-ml bottle of Rockstar “energy shot” contains 200 mg of caffeine. A 355-ml can of Red Bull contains 113.6 mg of caffeine.

Health Canada says children between 10 and 12 should not consume more than 85 mg of caffeine a day (children 4 to 6 should not exceed 45 mg, while those 7 to 9 should not exceed 62.5 mg). Healthy adults shouldn’t consume more than 400 mg a day, the department says.

It doesn’t have specific limits for teens because it says there is “insufficient data,” but recommends caffeine consumption for that group not exceed 2.5 mg per kilogram of body weight.

Excessive caffeine consumption can lead to irritability, loss of sleep or nervousness. But there is also concern that its stimulating effects can cause rapid heat rate, an abnormal rhythm or other problems that could have serious health consequences.

One of the major reasons for concern, according to the editorial, is that makers of energy drinks regularly target young consumers through event sponsorships and promotional materials.

For instance, Rockstar sponsors off-road racing and extreme sports events.

Health experts are also concerned by the fact many young people may mix energy drinks with alcohol, a potentially dangerous combination because the stimulating effects of caffeine can allow an individual to drink more over a longer period of time, which could lead to alcohol poisoning or risky behaviour.

Caffeinated energy drinks are sold as natural health products in Canada. They must undergo a review to determine they are safe and effective and those that are approved have a licence number printed on their label, according to Health Canada spokesman Gary Holub.

But since there is a major backlog of products to be reviewed and approved by Health Canada’s Natural Health Products Directorate, the government has allowed many to go on sale while waiting for approval. That could mean some energy drinks and other natural health products on the market have never been reviewed for efficacy or safety.

But Mr. Holub suggested some energy drinks could represent a section of the market that may soon see increased scrutiny. He wrote in an e-mail that Health Canada is “reviewing the latest information and safety data on energy drinks and reassessing the labelling requirements for these products.”

To date, Health Canada has approved 18 energy drinks as natural health products, including eight varieties of Red Bull and six types of Full Throttle energy drinks.

Red Bull and other companies that sell caffeinated energy drinks did not respond to requests for comment.

Refreshments Canada, an industry association representing beverage makers, issued a statement saying companies that sell caffeinated energy drinks are responsible and don’t engage in marketing campaigns aimed at children. It states that energy drink labels clearly indicate the products should not be consumed by children and that the products have been approved for sale in more than 100 countries.

It also sent a letter to Dr. Hébert stating the CMAJ’s editorial wrongly insinuates that energy drink makers target youth or are unregulated.

“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 said in the letter.

La. bill would ban selling energy drinks to teen

By MELINDA DESLATTE
The Associated Press March 18, 2010, 5:59PM ET

BATON ROUGE, La.

Lori McHughes calls energy drinks, those jolts of caffeine popular with teenagers and college students, “speed in a can.” And she wants restrictions on who can buy them in Louisiana.

Lawmakers will consider the idea of a ban on the sale of the drinks to anyone under the age of 16, after McHughes’ health concerns about the beverages persuaded state Sen. Robert Adley, R-Benton, to propose the prohibition.

McHughes, who lives in Bossier Parish, blamed the collapse of her 15-year-old son on his mixture of a Red Bull drink with another called an “energy shot.” After he ingested the highly caffeinated combination on his way to summer camp last year, McHughes said her son broke into a sweat, felt his heart beating rapidly and passed out.

“He got sick as a dog. He could have had an underlying heart condition. That could have killed him,” she said Thursday. She added, “What gives these merchants the right to sell my child speed in a can?”

Manufacturers of the drinks say they are confident of the products’ safety. Health experts are studying the possible risks of the highly caffeinated beverages.

A spokesperson for Red Bull didn’t immediately return a request for comment Thursday about Adley’s bill or McHughes’ complaints.

The proposed ban — to be considered in the legislative session that starts March 29 — would prohibit the sale of the energy drinks to anyone younger than 16, calling it an unfair trade practice. Anyone found in violation could face a fine or civil penalty.

The ban would fall on any drink — except coffee — that has at least five milligrams of caffeine per ounce.

A similar bill that would ban the sale of energy drinks to anyone under 18 has yet to gain traction in Massachusetts.

Adley said the measure will create discussion about the health concerns surrounding the drinks, which he said aren’t sold to children under the age of 12.

“I don’t know if the drinks are harmful or not, but I know (McHughes) felt so strongly about it that I filed a bill and said, ‘We’ll find out if they do harm or not,’” he said.

Source: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9EHA4CG3.htm

P.E.I. docs want ban on energy drink sales to kids

CTV.ca News Staff
Date: Sun. Sep. 14 2008 7:39 PM ET
VIDEO: http://watch.ctv.ca/news/clip92573#clip92573

Doctors in Prince Edward Island want the provincial government to ban the sale of caffeine-laden energy drinks to kids.

Caffeine not only causes behavioural problems in children, said Dr. Bill Scantlebury, the president of the P.E.I. Medical Society. They also pose serious health risks, too.

Many energy drinks contain more caffeine than the recommended daily limit for adults, Scantlebury said.

“We see kids, youth and some athletes drinking two or three of these before an event, believing they’re going to get more energy out of it,” Scantlebury told CTV.

“But they’re really putting themselves at risk for some heart rhythm disturbances and blood pressure issues.”

Energy drinks are positioned in stores next to candy in an attempt to attract younger consumers, Scantlebury said.

“It’s just like what cigarette companies did years ago. They know if they get them hooked early they’ll have them hooked for life.”

New Brunswick neurologist, Dr. Greg MacLean, agrees with the idea of an energy drink ban.

In fact, all provinces should establish such a ban, he said.

“I can’t think who thinks it’s a good idea to give stimulants to children and send them to school,” MacLean told CTV. “Certainly, the amount of caffeine in some of these drinks is what we would regard as toxic levels.”

This week, the Island’s Western School Board will vote on a proposal to ban energy drinks from its schools.

Doctors in P.E.I. will spend the coming weeks researching energy drinks before they decide at what age kids can safely consume them.

With a report from CTV’s Dan Viau