The American Medical Association said it would support a ban on the marketing of energy drinks to children under 18, because the high-caffeine beverages could cause heart problems and other health issues.
This was adopted in a group’s annual meeting in Chicago. “Energy drinks contain excessive amounts of caffeine that may lead to health problems in young people, including heart problems, and banning companies from marketing these products to adolescents is a common action that we can take to protect the health of American kids,” Dr. Alexander Ding, an AMA board member, said in a statement.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in October said it was investigating reports of five deaths that may be associated with top-selling energy drink.
The American Beverage Association said it was disappointed in the AMA resolution. It said most energy drinks contain about half the caffeine
“Leading energy drink companies also voluntarily display total caffeine amounts – from all sources – on their packages, as well as an advisory statement indicating that the product is not intended (or recommended) for children, pregnant or nursing women, or persons sensitive to caffeine, said in an emailed statement.
The drinks, with aggressive-sounding names like Monster, Red Bull, AMP and Full Throttle, are the fastest-growing type of soft drink in the United States, with sales up 17 percent last year to about $9 billion, according to Beverage Digest. They are often associated with extreme sports, which make them popular among young men.