Rising caffeine levels spark calls for ban on energy drink sales to children

WASHINGTON - Paediatricians and parents are calling for the United States to treat new high-caffeine energy drinks like alcohol and cigarettes and ban their sale to minors as a single serving can contain as much caffeine as six Coca-Colas.

Prime Energy, which launched in 2023, has 200mg of caffeine within its 350ml can - exceeding permissible caffeine levels in Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Rival products such as Anheuser Busch InBev-backed Ghost energy drinks and reality TV star Kim Kardashian's Kimade energy drink also have 200mg of caffeine.

Competitor Monster Energy contains 150mg of caffeine.

As caffeine content in energy drinks has climbed over the years, some countries and retailers have banned the products, while a few require proof of age for purchase.

In the US and Britain, no national regulations ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks.

Without legal age mandates like those on alcohol and cigarettes, retailers are unlikely to restrict access, said Dr Holly Benjamin, a professor of pediatrics and orthopedic surgery at the University of Chicago.

According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, there is no proven safe dose of caffeine for children.

Dr Benjamin said: "Retailers could choose to place sports drinks and energy drinks in different locations and label the sections differently. But I think that is unlikely to happen without regulation, which starts with better product labelling and widespread education."

She added: "Any energy drink with a high dose caffeine in it, such as Prime Energy, is unsafe for children."

Side effects for children consuming caffeine could include rapid or irregular heartbeats, headaches, seizures, shaking, stomach upset and adverse emotional effects on mental health, she said.

A US Food and Drug Administration spokesman said the agency is currently reviewing a request by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to investigate the caffeine content in Prime Energy, as well as its marketing to children.

Prime representatives declined to comment.

Ghost Energy and Monster Energy did not return messages seeking comment.

Congo Brands, which owns Kimade, Alani Nu and Prime Energy, also did not respond to requests seeking comment.

The co-founders of Prime, social media influencers Logan Paul and KSI, said in August media interviews that they are not marketing the drink to children, adding that retailers should police sales to minors.

Colourful cans confuse parents

The American Medical Association (AMA) supports a ban on the marketing of caffeine drinks to children under the age of 18, according to its policy set in 2013.

The AMA also urges the US regulators or lawmakers to mandate "child-resistant packaging" on high-energy drinks.

Ms Kinneret Shick Ohana, a mother of five children from Florida, saw the "bright, colourful cans of Prime" that her children have been chattering about displayed in front aisles of Walmart when shopping for groceries.

Out of excitement, she overlooked the black writing at the bottom of the coloured cans that said "energy drink" before bringing it home to her children.

"I got confused because when you first see the can, it's hard to see where it says energy drink. It took me some time after my son pointed it out to find it," said Ms Ohana.

Ms Bonnie Patten, executive director of Truth in Advertising, said: "The energy drink industry is marketing these products that are only supposedly intended for adults to kids, and I think Prime is just another example of a company that is pushing these inappropriate drinks on minors."

Specialty retailer GNC has set an 18+ age limit restriction to purchase energy drinks, according to its customer service line and in-store checks.

Target and Walmart, as well as specialty chains like the Vitamin Shoppe, carry Prime Energy but typically do not verify buyers' ages, according to Reuters interviews and in-store checks.

"We strongly encourage our customers to follow all labelling instructions for every product sold at the Vitamin Shoppe, including energy drinks," the Vitamin Shoppe said.

Target did not return messages seeking comment.

Walmart declined to comment.

Drink makers' labels noting that the beverages are "not recommended" for children creates confusion among retailers on what restrictions, if any, should be set on the sale of energy drinks to children, lawyers said.

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