Legislation of Energy Drinks Unlikely

Details

What Ails You

Saturday, 29 January 2011 06:55

By Alex Holder

Judging from recent comments, there seems to be a pervasive consensus that much more could be done to inform the public on the true effects of energy drinks like Red Bull, Wired, and others.

Research has shown that these drinks are known to trigger addictions similar to those associated with drugs and alcohol.

In an invited comment on the subject, Antigua’s chief nutrition officer, Juanita James, agreed. “I do know that some are dangerous,” she said, adding that public service announcements and legislation would be favourable.

James said young people and athletes are more prone to overuse these energy drinks, and noted that small-scale initiatives have been taken to address the situation.

However, she said it is unlikely that the health ministry will restrict circulation or usage, as this is the responsibility of the Bureau of Standards.

She supposed that if PSAs and legislation were initiated, they should target an unmistakable slice of the population, particularly athletes and young adults.
“I don’t know how widely used they are, but PSAs would be beneficial,” James said.

Speaking on matters of health that the ministry has enforced, the chief nutritionist noted that there is a ban on smoking in government buildings, vehicles, and other areas.

Il Giardino Closed for Now Antigua St. John's - Local staff members of the embattled Italian Restaurant IL Giardino has confirmed that they are on the breadline as one of the o... read more

“We have not gone as far as to implement bans on other public spaces,” she said.

Meanwhile, James pointed out that there are other issues to be addressed.

“We don’t even have legislation on labelling of foods,” she said. “We certainly have a lot to do in the area of legislation.”

Work is already being done in some areas to promote this type of awareness, but James noted that the only problem is that little of this information reaches the general public.

 

See related stories:

Of Rum and Red Bull

• < Prev
• Next >