Countless Americans drink Monster and other energy drinks on a daily basis. In this fast-paced society people are often looking for a quick fix to stay awake at the office, or in class, or have the stamina to endure a long workout at the gym etc. But are these drinks safe and should children be taking them?
CBS reports on the controversy over Monster energy drinks.
Lawmakers and prosecutors in New York and other parts of the country have become concerned with the marketing practices of Monster and similar brands. They find that these companies are increasingly targeting children who should not be consuming these drinks.
More and more children are going to the emergency room now after having energy drinks. The drinks are apparently causing serious cardiac problems in children. One doctor explained to CBS news why these drinks are extremely unhealthy for children. He states, “These drinks pack quite a punch -- too much stimulation for many kids to handle. For the past couple of years, thousands of children are being admitted to emergency rooms with cardiac problems and other issues from drinking energy drinks and it's going up at an alarming pace.”
Monster issued a rebuttal statement to CBS news stating, “Our products are safe. They are not highly caffeinated, and they are not marketed to children.” But the doctor told CBS that this statement is not accurate and is “misleading.” He explained further, “The cans have caffeine in them, ginseng, and guarano, all of which have the same caffeine-like properties, and they're big stimulants. They affect the heart and the brain. And they are full of sugar, he added, which make them appealing to kids and teens. When you drink a cup of coffee, you drink it over 30, 40 minutes. These cans you gulp. All those caffeine-like properties, it's the perfect storm. You get electrical, conductive changes in the heart. That's why kids are ending up in the emergency room.”
