A recent and concerning case highlights the risks of consuming energy drinks. After drinking two cans of energy drinks and splitting some with a friend, 10-year-old Brooklyn Duguay went into a seizure. The event occurred within one to one-and-half hours after intake of the caffeinated drinks. Each can delivers up to 160 mg of caffeine! Brooklyn is a little over 45 kg. Her experience ignited a firestorm of discussion over whether energy drinks are safe, especially whether they should be easily accessible to very young children.
Energy drink manufacturers are already banned from marketing their drinks to kids under the age of 12. Many experts argue that despite these restrictions, aggressive marketing strategies utilizing music, sports, influencers, and celebrities effectively reach a young audience. This incident highlights why we need a reexamination of these advertising strategies and the current regulations on energy drinks.
Health Risks Associated with Energy Drinks
Brooklyn’s mother, Kayla Duguay, described the moment her daughter experienced the seizure as “the scariest thing I’ve been through.” She underscored her alarm at how easy it was for Brooklyn to buy not one, but two full-sized cans of energy drinks.
“It wasn’t just that she was able to buy them. It was the amount — it was how she was able to purchase such an excessive amount.” – Kayla Duguay
Health Canada has for years warned about the health risks posed by energy drinks. In 2011, officials proposed limiting the sale of such beverages to places where they are directly supervised by a pharmacist. They also demanded establishing a minimum purchase age of 18 years old. An FDA expert panel has called for labeling all energy drinks as “stimulant drug containing” beverages. This recommendation is being made especially considering their excessive levels of caffeine and the risk for negative health consequences.
Dr. Felix Oberhoffer has found that young adults who drink energy drinks have significantly stiffer blood vessels. Such a condition would be likely to result in serious adverse cardiac outcomes.
“I’m not a medical doctor, but they’re stimulants. They increase blood pressure and heart rate,” said James Shepherd, another concerned parent. “When you’re doing sports or vigorous activities, you’re already stressing your cardiovascular system.”
The risk extends beyond one-off uses. After the precautionary recall, health experts continue to raise the alarm that too much caffeine can be especially dangerous for kids, whose bodies can’t process large amounts of caffeine.
Marketing Practices Fueling Consumption
Yet even with regulations on the books, energy drink companies still find ways to market their products in ways that promote consumption among minors. These products were discussed more on social media, emails, blogs—everywhere combined—than anything else in 2020, with 222k+ product mentions. This excitement generated a potential reach of almost 352 million users.
David Hammond raised alarm about how these marketing tactics distort the boundaries of acceptable use. The reality is that a lot of people, including children, don’t use energy drinks in moderation.
“But there are lots of people, including kids, who don’t consume at moderate levels.” – David Hammond
As Hammond pointed out, bypassing regulation by labeling energy drinks as supplements would confuse and mislead consumers. This might mislead the public into thinking these products are safe for all ages.
“When we use the word ‘supplement,’ most often people think, ‘Oh, that’s a nutritional supplement. That’s good for me,’” he explained. “What it’s meant to do is flag things that are in such high concentrations they could be harmful.”
Experts agree that it is crucial for governments and manufacturers to collaborate on finding a proportional response to these issues.
“It’s really up to governments and manufacturers to figure out what the proportional response is.” – David Hammond
The Way Forward for Energy Drinks
Brooklyn Duguay’s chilling encounter serves as an urgent call for legislators and regulators to protect kids from dangerous energy drinks and their predatory marketing practices. Caffeinated energy drinks have been sold safely in Canada for more than 20 years and available in over 170 countries. The growing recognition of their harms makes a case for stronger rules.
Krista Scaldwell from the Canadian Beverage Association (CBA) emphasized the organization’s commitment to ensuring that Canadians can make informed choices regarding energy drinks.
“The CBA supports Health Canada’s strict science-based approach and remains committed to public education and working with regulators,” said Scaldwell.
Kayla Duguay’s experience reminds us of the hazards energy drinks can pose to children. So, parents and guardians, heed this important warning to protect your children.
“This could have been a lot worse. She could have had a heart attack,” she remarked.
