British Soft Drinks Association defends energy drinks

The British Medical Journal case report suggests a 21-year-old university student developed heart failure after “excessive” consumption of energy drinks. For two years, the man drank four 500ml energy drinks a day, according to the report.

The student thought there should be more awareness about energy drinks and the effect of their contents. “I believe they are very addictive and far too accessible to young children. I think warning labels, similar to smoking, should be made to illustrate the potential dangers of the ingredients in energy drinks,” he added.

In response, the British Soft Drinks Association, said: “Energy drinks and their ingredients have been deemed safe by regulatory authorities around the world. They are legally required to declare ‘High Caffeine Content. Not recommended for children or pregnant or breast-feeding women’ followed by the exact caffeine content expressed in mg per 100ml on the label. We remain committed to supporting the responsible sale of energy drinks.

“Furthermore, BSDA members do not market or promote energy drinks to under 16s, nor do they sample products with this age group. In addition, energy drinks carry an advisory note stating ‘Not recommended for children.’ This is all in line with the BSDA’s long-standing code of practice.”