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Age restrictions on energy drinks?

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Drail
Posts: 14011 - Karma: 10,001
So, I'm sure a lot of you will totally disagree with me, but after just watching "Family Vacation 3" and seeing that kid shotgun a Red Bull... shit man. Up until this whole "energy drink" craze, I don't ever remember seeing kids drink coffee. In fact, most parents wouldn't let their kids drink coffee till sometime in their late teens. Sure, there's cola, root beer, and other caffeinated beverages that kids (including myself) would drink from time to time - but it wasn't nearly as often as some kids these days with their energy drinks. I don't know what is "worse" for you, but it seams to me that a Rockstar is probably way worse for you than a large coffee or a can of Coke.

There has got to be some negative side effects from a 10 year old kid drinking 1 to 3 energy drinks per day for x amount of years. If that same kid was drinking 3 cups of coffee a day (especially "back in the day") I'm sure something would be said, so why the fuck are energy drinks so socially acceptable?

Sometimes I wish Canada stuck to it's guns and kept their strict caffeine laws for beverages... none of these energy drinks would even be available to anyone.
Feb 15 2012 12:55PM
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skithesprings
Posts: 9086 - Karma: 1,349
I'm tempted to agree with you, but at the same time, I have a hard time justifying another form of government control over something that should be left up to the parents. Stupid parents are going to raise stupid little kids, and that kind of comforts me in knowing that some day, when I have children, that they'll at least have the advantage of responsible parenting.
Feb 15 2012 1:09PM
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CheddarJack
Posts: 5203 - Karma: 7,380
There's a kid in my high school who drinks a monster every day and puts every can on one of my teachers empty bookshelves. Needless to say, the bookshelf is almost full. There's probably 100 of them. It's so damn unhealthy, the kids gunna have a heart attack.
Feb 15 2012 1:14PM
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Blurst
Posts: 13577 - Karma: 10,168
I can honestly say that I have never tried an energy drink and plan on staying that way but anyways I totally agree with you. I feel like energy drinks shouldnt even be legal. That amount of caffeine is going to fuck kids growth up if they are consuming that much at such a young age. Thats why I didnt start drinking coffee until I was 17/18 because I really didnt want it to screw me up in the future.
Feb 15 2012 1:14PM
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ForrestW
Posts: 451 - Karma: 56
theres really not that many long term effects of caffeine in the body... the main problems would be hyperactive kids, and lack of sleep depending on when it is consumed. i do agree that drinking 3 rockstars a day is not a good idea for various reason such as too much sugar, cost, and ive heard it does have some growth stunting effects (dont quote me on that last one). honestly i dont think it has the risks of something that should be banned or limited, i bet more kids get hurt long term on their first bicycle than by drinking a redbull. also in moderation it can be good for you.
Feb 15 2012 1:22PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51260 - Karma: 157,382
i drink water. fuck those things. if im falling asleep driving home yeah, otherwise no.
Feb 15 2012 1:28PM
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BenWest
Posts: 470 - Karma: 89
I feel like since its such a new thing, parents might not understand just how bad it is, plus aside from some extreme examples, I havent seen any sidely published issues about the long term health effects, and thats what you need to get society to stop doing something... like you ^^ said, at least i can take comfort in know that my kids wont be drinking these at that age
Feb 15 2012 1:29PM
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Willard
Posts: 5117 - Karma: 429
I know a kid who had a couple energy drinks a day. He ended up in the hospital because it deystroyed his stomach he cant have another one. I havent had a energy drink in years other than a chaser.
Feb 15 2012 1:30PM
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oil.
Posts: 2255 - Karma: 1,254
i dont think we need it. caffiene doesnt have any long-term effects (not like alcohol, unless your knocking back 7 cans a day or something) and it'll just make hyperactive kids, maybe stunt some growth.. but thats their problem, or their parents for not educating them.
Feb 15 2012 1:31PM
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Mike-O
Posts: 14593 - Karma: 1,089
In Finland, most stores won't sell energy drinks to anyone under the age of 15.

They are also planning and very surely passing a law that will fortify this pretty universal decision here.

Energy drinks aren't something to play around with, when I was underage, we used to stand on the corner to get someone to cop us some beers, nowadays kids are running up to me asking me to buy them a 12-pack of energy drinks, what the fuck.
Feb 15 2012 1:35PM
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ryantheconnolly
Posts: 2027 - Karma: 108
root beer isnt caffeinated... just saying :)
Feb 15 2012 1:35PM
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Blurst
Posts: 13577 - Karma: 10,168
Are you fucking kidding me? Give me one way an energy drink is good for you?
Feb 15 2012 1:38PM
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Spinoza
Posts: 12763 - Karma: 3,844
I'm with you man
Feb 15 2012 1:43PM
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.AR6rider.
Posts: 15976 - Karma: 8,799
Coffee has up to twice as much caffeine as your standard energy drink. It's the large amounts of sugar and other shit in energy drinks that's bad for you. Just sayin...
Feb 15 2012 1:44PM
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BrewskiJr
Posts: 5738 - Karma: 1,478
I drink energy drinks instead of taking adderral during exams. I have 4 exams in two days and ive been hopped up on redbull/coffee for most of it.
Feb 15 2012 1:45PM
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JamesR
Posts: 3396 - Karma: -12
Studies have shown caffeine to have beneficial effects. The bottom line is that energy drinks are as dangerous as donuts. Both have ingredients that are good for you in moderation and ingredients that are bad for you in excess. We need the government to point guns at energy drink producers about as much as we need the government to point guns at bakers. Force is not a substitute for good parenting.
Feb 15 2012 1:49PM
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JamesR
Posts: 3396 - Karma: -12
the caffeine youre taking in stimulates you by blocking something that makes you calm. After ingesting caffeine for a short amount of time, drinking more only takes you back to what would be a normal state. Furthermore, caffeine scatters your thoughts and negatively effects concentration. Any benefit youre getting is pure placebo. rail some adderall bro /science
Feb 15 2012 1:53PM
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Dunnah
Posts: 1215 - Karma: 277
I knew a kid who would have a monster just about every day in highschool and midway through his senior year, he got a kidney stone.
Feb 15 2012 1:54PM
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Lavieille
Posts: 814 - Karma: 318
I know a kid who used to drink monsters everyday, he started getting really bad stomach aches so he stopped, some of those energy drinks they sell just look dangerous
Feb 15 2012 2:04PM
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5oup5teeze
Posts: 1259 - Karma: 74
This is a great topic. I'm thinking that the parenting has a lot to do with the subject. When I was growing up, my parents had a strict policy with me that I could only have ONE pop a day. Sometimes it was 2 or 3, but that was in the summer on lazy weekends, and even then it was a rare occurrence. I'm thinking that parents these days just aren't being strict about their expectations with their children. Some kids can do anything they want and get away with it. So that's why I think parenting has a lot to do with this over populating issue.
Feb 15 2012 2:05PM
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.AR6rider.
Posts: 15976 - Karma: 8,799
You were allowed to have 3 pops in one day? Holy shit. We never even had pop at ALL in my house growing up. We would maybe get a pack of Diet Coke or Fresca if we were heading to my cottage in the summer, but even that was rare. The only time I drink pop now is to mix it with alcohol haha. I usually just drink water, and coffee in the morning.
Feb 15 2012 2:08PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,398
they taste like shit, they are terrible for you, they cost a lot, i don't get why ANYONE drinks them in the first place. give me a good breakfast and a vitamin water any day and i'll have more energy then kids that slam back monster/redbull/rockstar
Feb 15 2012 2:08PM
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.RYAN66
Posts: 5381 - Karma: 235
FACT: energy drinks enlarge your heat, leading to later problems.

i know this because my uncle used to drink an energy drink about everyday at work, he ended up having to be rushed to the hospital because of pain in his heart. it was found that he has an enlarged heart and this can be caused from drinking energy drinks. luckily he had no major problems and his fine now but needless to say he doesnt drink energy drinks anymore.

i think its this oh im so cool drinking an energy drink just like i saw (insert pro rider of any action sport here) doing it. it draws kids in, and i think people need to be more strongly advised not to drink these.

after a mx race you will see Ryan Villipoto on the podium drinking a monster, but the truth is that there is water in that can. why cant the pros put down the paycheck and tell kids that water is the best thing to drink after and during a sport?



Feb 15 2012 2:11PM
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S_Jenk
Posts: 345 - Karma: 92
Somewhat relevant video on coffee, which I have 2 cups of every weekday.
Feb 15 2012 2:20PM
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maximiliaan
Posts: 7710 - Karma: 2,849
im with you guy!,
that shit is just nasty, bad for your health (if kids drink that allday errday) and its really, really really bad for your teeth aswell.

i cant see why the parents of these kids dont see that they are giving their kids straight diabetes and shit.
Feb 15 2012 2:23PM
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.AR6rider.
Posts: 15976 - Karma: 8,799
Lol. Drinking a sugary energy drink isn't just going to magically give you diabetes.
Feb 15 2012 2:26PM
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Kingdom
Posts: 408 - Karma: 7
Caffeine or "energy drinks" can cause kidney stones. I said can.
Feb 15 2012 2:27PM
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The_Big_Tuna
Posts: 799 - Karma: 75
im 15 & i drink one every once in a while. i never feel hyper or awakened. sure they taste good, but are a bit over priced.










too much of anything will hurt you.
Feb 15 2012 2:29PM
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maximiliaan
Posts: 7710 - Karma: 2,849
no but if you drink that shit all day everyday it has an bigger chance to get.
and it was ment retorical (dont really know the english word)
Feb 15 2012 2:32PM
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.AR6rider.
Posts: 15976 - Karma: 8,799
Haha yeah I know, trust me. I'm actually doing my final research paper for my master's degree on obesity and type II diabetes in kids.
Feb 15 2012 2:35PM
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blackoutbill
Posts: 2918 - Karma: 282
The sugar/artificial sweetener in vitamin water can't be much better than sugar in an energy drink. OJ is healthier and will have the same effect

I drink a cup of coffee a day and rarely drink energy drinks. Only if I need to go on a long drive or something like that
Feb 15 2012 2:36PM
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p.hawks
Posts: 2832 - Karma: 581
I know that I concentrate better when I have caffeine, I just usually prefer coffee, but its about the same amount. I have also heard that it is sometimes suggested to give a kid red bull/coffee because of this for either add or adhd (pretty sure it was add but not positive) because of this. With that said, too much caffeine can stunt your growth, and I still try to limit how much I have.

Also as far as regulation goes, I am not in support, but I would support unbiased education. At my school they tried to tell us that all energy drinks will kill you and how terrible they are, and it was so over the top that no one took it seriously. They can be dangerous when used during summer sports in place of water, but as long as people know the effects and what is and is not appropriate. If all of this can be presented in a clear, easy to understand, and unbiased method, there won't be a need for regulation. it is just very unlikely that this will ever happen
Feb 15 2012 2:38PM
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B.Aussie
Posts: 5851 - Karma: 4,522
I had my first energy drink this year purely for a race whilst I was really sick. Otherwise I never drink them.

Red Bull is banned in france and in a lot of countries is not allowed to be consumed by those under the age of 15 due to the excess levels of caffeine and other chemicals that aren't good for young people.
Feb 15 2012 2:40PM
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tommyp1ckles
Posts: 1337 - Karma: 55
coffee contains more caffeine than energy drinks and 2-3 cups of mtn probably has just as much caffiene as a redbull, besides caffiene isn't really bad for you long-term.
Feb 15 2012 2:53PM
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Smokey.
Posts: 236 - Karma: 26
unless anyone is drinking upwards of 50 cans of monster per day, caffeine is not going to kill you. It's all the "sugar" in the drinks (aka-processed sucroses and the like). It's the responsibility of the parents to teach their children not to act like idiots. I fully believe in natural selection, and if it has to happen via energy drinks, then so be it.
Feb 15 2012 2:55PM
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Mike-O
Posts: 14593 - Karma: 1,089
When natural selection was coined as a concept, aggressive marketing, high-end stupidity and fully-catering parents weren't much of an issue.
Feb 15 2012 3:21PM
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scratchproteen
Posts: 5173 - Karma: 286
what i've seen is kids using it as a replacement for water, instead of healthily hydrating them selves with water during they day, they are using monster/redbull etc...and they end up in the doctors dehydrated as hell because that shit zaps it right out of you....happened to a bunch of younger kids back in my old high school so now they aren't allowed during school hours.

I don't see anything wrong if you have one a day or something, but when it's your only intake of fluid there is something wrong, and it should probably start with the parenting.


Feb 15 2012 3:31PM
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Drail
Posts: 14011 - Karma: 10,001
MOST aren't, some are. Barq's Root Beer is caffeinated. I'm sure there's more.
Feb 15 2012 10:19PM
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Mr.Luke
Posts: 2441 - Karma: 166
it's just irresponsible parents. I see 10 year olds pounding red bulls like their busch at a college frat party.
The parents need to wisen up, smack their kid and themselves in their empty heads and stop drinking those pieces of caffeine filled crap.
Feb 15 2012 10:25PM
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.AR6rider.
Posts: 15976 - Karma: 8,799
It's not the caffeine that's bad for you. Like I said earlier, coffee has way more caffeine than your average energy drink. It's all the sugar and added crap in the energy drinks that make them bad.
Feb 15 2012 10:31PM
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ForrestW
Posts: 451 - Karma: 56
i was talking about caffeine not energy drinks. thought i made it clear... even though now that i think about it even an energy drink could be good for you IN MODERATION. if drinking a redbull in the morning gets you stoked for a great day of skiing whos to say it was bad for you?
Feb 16 2012 10:18PM
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