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posted by LaminatorX on Friday November 21 2014, @10:34PM   Printer-friendly
from the inappropriate-for-minors dept.

Medical News Today reports

Steven Lipschultz, MD and his team at Wayne State University analyzed records of the American Association of Poison Control Centers' National Poison Data System from October 2010 to September 2013. These records have information about calls to 55 US poison control centers from the public and health care professionals regarding energy exposures.

Those reports indicate that calls about energy drinks and children younger than 6 years old are alarmingly high--over 40 percent--and some of these children are suffering serious cardiac and neurological symptoms.

The team notes that some energy drinks can have up to 400 mg of caffeine per can or bottle, compared with 100-150 mg in a regular cup of coffee.

What is more, caffeine poisoning can happen at levels higher than 400 mg per day in adults, above 100 mg a day in adolescents, and at 2.5 mg per kg (2.2 lbs) of body weight in children under the age of 12.

"Energy drinks have no place in pediatric diets," says Dr. Lipschultz. "Anyone with underlying cardiac, neurologic, or other significant medical conditions should check with their health care provider to make sure it's safe to consume energy drinks."

The Center for American Progress notes

Energy drinks represent part of a larger subset of energy products that include gels and bars.

[...]The new study comes on the heels of calls to regulate the sale and marketing of these caffeinated beverages, particularly as some energy companies have targeted children as young as six in their marketing campaigns.

[...]Unlike most caffeinated drinks, energy drink makers don't always disclose the amount of the substance in each serving. A Consumer Reports investigation in 2012 found that many energy drink manufacturers producers either fail to reveal the level of caffeine in their products or underestimate it by 20 percent.

[...]Some of these incidents have spilled into the headlines. The parents of a 14-year-old Maryland girl, for example, sued producers of Monster, claiming that the caffeine caused the teen to go into cardiac arrest after consuming two 24-ounce bottles within a 24-hour period. Monster was also the defendant in a lawsuit involving the family of a 16-year-old girl from Arizona who died from a heart attack while on a trip in Mexico. In that case, the girl's mother said that she had been consuming nothing but the energy drink over the course of two days.

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  • (Score: 1) by jmorris on Friday November 21 2014, @11:07PM

    by jmorris (4844) on Friday November 21 2014, @11:07PM (#118625)

    So reposting political screeds from CAP is newsworthy? I know this site doesn't have 'that other site's' News for Nerds motto but really? Used to call these slashkos posts, wonder what the translation of that would be for here.

    That said, caffine is a drug. Too much is bad, that amount is lower for children. None of this should be news but most people are now on the shallow side of the bell curve (dysgenics, look it up) so I guess the mass media should be issuing warnings. But if folks HERE are so dumb as to need to be told the obvious, well our species had a good run but we about to join the dinosaurs.

    • (Score: 3, Funny) by Jeremiah Cornelius on Friday November 21 2014, @11:36PM

      by Jeremiah Cornelius (2785) on Friday November 21 2014, @11:36PM (#118633) Journal

      The way to solve this crisis?

       

      Have the child-killing energy drinks FIGHT TO THE FINISH with the child-killing Apple encryption! [soylentnews.org]

       

      In this fight? My bets are on Apple! Those are some BADASS tie-dyed hippie kid-killers! That Steve Jobs? He was like the CHARLES MANSON or something, of Silicon Valley!

      --
      You're betting on the pantomime horse...
      • (Score: 2) by tynin on Saturday November 22 2014, @02:52AM

        by tynin (2013) on Saturday November 22 2014, @02:52AM (#118676) Journal

        This would make an excellent bit on Robot Chicken.

        The way you gave it caps, even the wording, I could just hear the ring side announcers calling out the claymation effigies to fight.

        • (Score: 1) by Wierd0n3 on Saturday November 22 2014, @05:23AM

          by Wierd0n3 (1033) on Saturday November 22 2014, @05:23AM (#118699)

          Wasn't that Celebrity death match on comedy central?

          • (Score: 2) by tynin on Saturday November 22 2014, @03:44PM

            by tynin (2013) on Saturday November 22 2014, @03:44PM (#118782) Journal

            Yes they did it first, then I think Robot Chicken copied them and took it to a whole 'nother level.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 21 2014, @11:43PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 21 2014, @11:43PM (#118634)

      gewg_'s submissions tend to either be totally common sense stuff, like this on, or rather "out there" submissions about the evils of "right-wing conspiracies" and nonsense like that.

      • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 22 2014, @01:00AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 22 2014, @01:00AM (#118650)

        I have also noticed this as well about gewg. He is suffering from the 'i think this way everyone else must as well' syndrome.

        gewg your can do better. Look I know posting about 'politics' or 'tabloid' stuff seems fun. But there are zillions of other sites out there that achieve that very well. I know you mean well. But this is borderline tabloid junk you are posting. I know 'find something yourself' But really? You will just manage to drive off anyone who might be worth having around.

        If your story can be categorized along the lines of 'your shampoo may be killing you, find out at 11' or 'you wont believe what senator xyz said about abc' it probably is not worth passing on.

        The republicans are not going to snuff out your children while you sleep. Monsanto is not going to put a few tablespoons of arsenic in your rice krispies to poison your children. The tea baggers are not going to sneak in thru your basement window to make sure you are not harboring illegal aliens. I promise.

    • (Score: 3, Insightful) by keplr on Saturday November 22 2014, @04:07AM

      by keplr (2104) on Saturday November 22 2014, @04:07AM (#118687) Journal

      That said, caffine is a drug. Too much is bad, that amount is lower for children.

      There are a lot of people who don't know these things, and they have children. You're really overestimating how informed the average person is. It's not even a matter of intelligence, it's just a lack of knowledge. We've created a society where it's completely possible to reach adulthood without learning basic facts about biology, and the world at large.

      Childhood obesity is a huge problem. Why do you think that is? Kids aren't buying their own groceries. They're not setting their own schedules or activity levels. Their parents do these things (to an extent, at least). The market down the street from my house has signs informing parents that too much sugar causes obesity and diabetes, and warns that soda and fruit juice are not acceptable for babies and children.

      If we can't even reach everyone with the message that calories cause the body to store energy as fat, you're going to have a hard time explaining the comparatively more complex chemistry of caffeine's effects on the body.

      --
      I don't respond to ACs.
      • (Score: 1) by linuxrocks123 on Saturday November 22 2014, @04:44AM

        by linuxrocks123 (2557) on Saturday November 22 2014, @04:44AM (#118694) Journal

        Too much sugar causes obesity and diabetes.

        No. Mostly-true soundbite: Too many calories (sugar or otherwise) cause obesity. Obesity causes diabetes.

        Real Answer:

        There are a few very recent studies indicating there might be some correlation between sugar intake and diabetes. There are others indicating no correlation. We don't know either way for sure. My opinion? If there is a correlation, it's probably a mild one; otherwise, we would have found it by now.

        Ironically, given the nature of your post, it has long been a commonly repeated myth that high sugar intake causes diabetes. You can even find it listed under "myths" at the American Diabetes Association website for crissakes.

        Note that I'm not arguing sugar is good for you. Too much of it likely isn't, though whole grains and fiber probably are. Sugar sodas are horrid. Balanced diet and all that.

        Re your post though: I agree with your point. Just, maybe you should do a little more research yourself on issues like this. Glasses houses. Stones. Stuff.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 22 2014, @06:21AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 22 2014, @06:21AM (#118704)

        It's not like we have an under-population problem, so having some of the stupid ones die off for their own mistakes isn't a huge tragedy and might even improve things in the long run:

        a 16-year-old girl from Arizona who died from a heart attack while on a trip in Mexico. In that case, the girl's mother said that she had been consuming nothing but the energy drink over the course of two days.

        Unfortunate maybe, but that's like suing Jack Daniels if your 16 year old dies after consuming nothing but JD over 2 days. Or coca cola if your 6 year old kid dies after consumes nothing but coca cola for 2 days.

        Maybe a few more deaths in the news will lower the demand for such poisonous drinks, cause the wiser parents to not allow their children from consuming them and I see that's a good thing.

    • (Score: 2) by Hairyfeet on Saturday November 22 2014, @04:38AM

      by Hairyfeet (75) <{bassbeast1968} {at} {gmail.com}> on Saturday November 22 2014, @04:38AM (#118691) Journal

      Soygitpop? Soybean Justice Warriors? Soybeanist manifestos? Oooh I like that one, you could have an icon of a lesbian vegan SJWer on one side and a tea partier in some crazy American revolution outfit and both hold signs saying "Soybeanist manifesto!" so you cover both sides of the political bullshit.

      As for TFA I have a question WHAT DA FUCK WHY IS SIX YEAR OLDS GUZZLING MONSTERS? And the 16 year old? Well no shit Sherlock, I'm sure if she sucked down 20 latte grande she'd have ODed too, its called DON'T BE A DUMBASS! WTF has happened to this country? Are we REALLY to the point we have to try to babyproof the world because these mouth breathers are too fucking stupid to live without 24/7 supervision? Well I vote for letting them die, too damned many stupid people in the world as it is, each one that takes themselves out before breeding is a net positive for the gene pool.

      --
      ACs are never seen so don't bother. Always ready to show SJWs for the racists they are.
      • (Score: 1) by jmorris on Saturday November 22 2014, @06:26AM

        by jmorris (4844) on Saturday November 22 2014, @06:26AM (#118705)

        I prefer the much shorter "Think of it as evolution in action." Yea, stupid is supposed to hurt, otherwise people never have a reason to stop. See our modern world for an example.

        But seriously, what ya got against tricorn hats?

        • (Score: 2) by Hairyfeet on Sunday November 23 2014, @12:29PM

          by Hairyfeet (75) <{bassbeast1968} {at} {gmail.com}> on Sunday November 23 2014, @12:29PM (#119080) Journal

          I got nothing against the hat, its the mouth breathers wearing them while holding signs that say "keep the government outta my medicare" signs I have a problem with. Ever watch a rally of SJWers or tea partiers? If you think you've seen pants on head retard before you haven't, watch either group have a rally and the levels of stupid will blow the gauge plumb off any dumbshit meter!

          --
          ACs are never seen so don't bother. Always ready to show SJWs for the racists they are.
      • (Score: 2) by urza9814 on Tuesday November 25 2014, @03:01PM

        by urza9814 (3954) on Tuesday November 25 2014, @03:01PM (#119812) Journal

        Yeah really. When I was 16 my mom used to yell at me just for drinking a single Bawls -- an 8 oz "energy drink" with 80mg of caffeine. What kind of awful parent *knowingly* allows their kid to drink nothing but energy drinks for *days*? And then is SHOCKED the kid gets hurt?

        And shit, even if the parents are too dumb to know better, the kids sure as hell aren't. When I was 16 (8 years ago), *everybody* in school knew energy drinks were dangerous. We drank 'em all the time anyway, because it was the only drug we could get cheaply and legally, but we knew better than to drink nothing else all day. Even if the parents didn't teach her better, her health class sure as hell did.

  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by DaTrueDave on Friday November 21 2014, @11:32PM

    by DaTrueDave (3144) on Friday November 21 2014, @11:32PM (#118632)

    This isn't rocket surgery. We all know that you can overdose on caffeine.

    This sounds like parenting failure, not any problem with perfectly safe substances being available for purchase.

    • (Score: 2) by jimshatt on Friday November 21 2014, @11:46PM

      by jimshatt (978) on Friday November 21 2014, @11:46PM (#118635) Journal
      Maybe. But the cans should at least state the amount of caffeine properly, if you want to make an as informed as possible decision as a parent. And you can bet your ass your teenage kid will claim that it hasn't that much caffeine in it.
      Also, the amount of caffeine that's dangerous probably varies enormously from person to person, making this not so easy.
      • (Score: 1) by theronb on Saturday November 22 2014, @03:12AM

        by theronb (2596) on Saturday November 22 2014, @03:12AM (#118681)

        But the cans should at least state the amount of caffeine properly...

        Yeah! I want to know which are the good ones and get the most bang for my buck or three!

        • (Score: 2) by jimshatt on Sunday November 23 2014, @12:38AM

          by jimshatt (978) on Sunday November 23 2014, @12:38AM (#118978) Journal
          That's alcohol, silly!
    • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 21 2014, @11:49PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 21 2014, @11:49PM (#118637)

      No, you can't blame it on the parents. That would imply that they have some duty to act in a responsible manner. You know, like adults or something. In Modern America, people aren't responsible for their own irresponsibility. If somebody is dumb enough to let their kid overdose on energy drinks, then it's probably the fault of all white males who have ever existed, including those who died centuries ago. It's the patriarchy that's responsible.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 22 2014, @12:06AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 22 2014, @12:06AM (#118644)
        Global climate change is due to too many humans. But humans are almost becoming too stupid to propagate their own species. Nature is balancing.
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 22 2014, @01:29AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 22 2014, @01:29AM (#118656)

        Right on! I think they should put these energy drinks on the school menu; I mean, who's the Goverment to tell me what my kid should drink. Any responsible parent will have done a decent enough job to instruct their kids not to drink it and the kids obviously won't. Only bad kids will disobey their parents, and bad kids come from bad parents.

      • (Score: 2) by theluggage on Saturday November 22 2014, @01:19PM

        by theluggage (1797) on Saturday November 22 2014, @01:19PM (#118757)

        No, you can't blame it on the parents. That would imply that they have some duty to act in a responsible manner.

        Whereas the businesses that make and sell these drinks have the God-given right to do whatever the fuck they want to in pursuit of the almighty buck, hang the consequences?

        I mean, putting "Warning - contains as much caffeine as a whole jug of coffee - not to be consumed by children under 16 or anybody with a dicky heart" in large friendly letters on the can (not "100 mg per unrealistically small serving" in small print on the back) and keeping it on the same shelf as the beer, not the cola might hit sales, and we can't have that.

        Obviously, theres some room for perspective, and the cases in TFS do evoke different levels of sympathy: "consuming two 24-ounce bottles within a 24-hour period" is a far cry from "consuming nothing but the energy drink over the course of two days"

    • (Score: 2, Interesting) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday November 22 2014, @12:45AM

      by Ethanol-fueled (2792) on Saturday November 22 2014, @12:45AM (#118649) Homepage

      There's a lot of other fake, nasty lab-synthesized shit in those energy drinks, shit that could possible be a contributor to the poisonings.

      But why do people enjoy drinking things that taste like Bazooka Joe's piss anyway?

      • (Score: 3, Funny) by cafebabe on Saturday November 22 2014, @02:56AM

        by cafebabe (894) on Saturday November 22 2014, @02:56AM (#118678) Journal

        Bazooka Joe's piss

        *That's* what Red Bull tastes like. I couldn't place it until now.

        --
        1702845791×2
  • (Score: 1) by khallow on Saturday November 22 2014, @02:45AM

    by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Saturday November 22 2014, @02:45AM (#118675) Journal
    The last time I got an "energy exposure", I broke my arm in two places. Who knew that rolling a pickup truck was bad for you?
  • (Score: 1) by chewbacon on Saturday November 22 2014, @10:43PM

    by chewbacon (1032) on Saturday November 22 2014, @10:43PM (#118943)

    It's the manufacturer that makes you drink the product, restraining your self control. I see big settlements in their future.