3 Reasons Energy Drink Bans Fail

January 18, 2021January 15, 2021greeneyedguide

Energy drinks are not intended for minors. And yet, energy drink bans are not the way to go.

Many states and counties in the US have tried to pass laws to prevent minors from buying energy drinks. In this episode of the Caffeine at Midnight podcast, Caffeine Scientist GreenEyedGuide describes the 3 reasons energy drink bans fail, and what lawmakers SHOULD do instead.

Where Minors Get Their Caffeine

Few get it from energy drinks

Reference: Beverage caffeine intakes in the US – Food Chem Toxicol, 136-42 Jan 2014

The 3 Most Important Things You Need To Know

Energy Drink Bans Don't Address Dangerous Ingredients

People have overdosed on caffeine from shots of espresso, from pure caffeine powder, and from soda [see References, below].
A ban on energy drinks won't address situations where OTHER ingredients pose a health risk. For example, yohimbe, beta-alanine, and even B-Vitamins can be harmful in the wrong dose.

Energy Drink Bans Don't Include "Energy Drinks In Disguise"

Starbucks Doubleshot has 2x the caffeine of Red Bull. Some preworkout powders have 3x the amount of caffeine a minor can have in 1 day. Energy drink bans fail to include these products, which pose just as much risk to minors as the stereotypical energy drink.

Energy Drink Bans Don't Protect 18 Year Olds

Eighteen year olds don't magically wake up immune to caffeine toxicity. And yet, college students are more likely than minors of overdosing on caffeine. This is due to their newfound independence, peer pressure, and the stress of juggling college and Adulthood responsibilities.

Bottom Line

Preventing a minor from buying Red Bull is not the best way to keep minors safe from the health risks associated with energy drinks. There are too many loopholes, and there are better methods that protect everyone, not just minors.

In the next episode of the Caffeine at Midnight podcast, GreenEyedGuide shares why Canada’s Energy Drink Restriction is the way to go.

References

Documented Deaths By Caffeine – Caffeine Informer
Yohimbe Side Effects – WebMD
Energy Drink Hospitalizations – GreenEyedGuide.com

Are Nootropics Safe?

August 24, 2020September 17, 2020greeneyedguide

You’ve probably heard that energy drinks are dangerous. But are nootropics safer than energy drinks?

This is part of a series on nootropics versus energy drinks. In this post, we’ll discuss how energy drinks and nootropics are regulated. Specifically, I’ll show you why these regulations matter when it comes to nootropics, energy drinks, and your health and safety.

Finally, I’ll give you 5 secrets to picking a safe nootropic.

Short on time?

This blog post is also available as a podcast!

Listen on Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!

PBR Hard Coffee – Ingredients, Safety, Where to Find It

July 29, 2019March 23, 2020greeneyedguide

Pabst Blue Ribbon has released “PBR Hard Coffee” in select markets. Where can you find it? What is it? What’s in it? How come the FDA shut down Four Loko but this caffeine alcohol combo is fine? Food Scientist/Caffeine Researcher GreenEyedGuide answers these questions and more.

Watch the episode or read the Q&A below:

PBR Hard Coffee: Ingredients, Safety, and Where to Find It – YouTube Episode

Get the FREE GUIDE – “3 Tips for Feeling More Awake With Less Caffeine”

What is PBR Hard Coffee?

For starters, let’s talk about what it is not.

Energy Drink Bans

May 11, 2019December 27, 2019greeneyedguide

In this three-part series, we’ll talk about whether energy drink bans are good or bad, what has been tried in the US, and the bans or restrictions in other countries.

PART ONE – Are Energy Drink Bans Good or Bad? Are They Effective?

In PART ONE of this three-part series, we’ll talk about energy drinks bans in general. Why do people want to ban energy drinks? How does an energy drink ban work? What drinks does it include and why? Read more →

How Much Caffeine Can I Have (and how do I remember that number)? Caffeine Science in 60 Seconds

March 5, 2019September 5, 2019greeneyedguide

March is Caffeine Awareness Month!

Here’s ONE thing you can do to be a better caffeine user. Behold: Caffeine Science in 60 Seconds- How Much Caffeine Can I Have…(and how do I remember that number)?

GreenEyedGuide (that’s me, your favorite energy drink scientist) has a silly mnemonic device to help you remember how much caffeine you can have in one day.

View this post on Instagram

Here's ☝️thing you can do to be a better caffeine user. Behold: Caffeine Science in 60 Seconds- How Much Caffeine Can I Have…(and how do I remember that number)? GreenEyedGuide (that's me, your favorite energy drink scientist) has a silly mnemonic device to help you remember how much caffeine you can have in one day. 🤗☕The Magic # is 400!☕🤗 400mg caffeine is the max healthy adults should consume in one day. This is the number several bodies (#pun) agree on including US FDA Health Canada and the European Food Safety Authority. Happy Caffeine Awareness Month!!! 🤓💚☕🔬 #caffeineawarenessmonth #sciencebehindenergydrinks #caffeinescience #energydrink #caffeine #foodscience

A post shared by Danielle Robertson Rath (@greeneyedguide) on Mar 5, 2019 at 7:04am PST

🤗☕The Magic Number is 400!☕🤗

Yes, 400 mg caffeine is the max healthy adults should consume in one day. This is the number which several bodies (pun) agree on, including US FDA, Health Canada, and the European Food Safety Authority.

You may have seen those web page errors: “404: File Not Found”. Well, the error associated with 400 (our caffeine limit magic number) is “Bad Request”. So remember this: to consume more than 400mg caffeine in one day would be a BAD REQUEST.

Happy Caffeine Awareness Month!!!

🤓💚☕🔬 This post was originally published on Instagram – Follow GreenEyedGuide for the latest news/nerdy fun in energy drinks and caffeine science.

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I’ve researched the science and safety behind energy drinks and their ingredients since 2003. This book is the culmination of my research:

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Need help with quitting caffeine?

If you’ve decided you want caffeine out of your life entirely, I HIGHLY recommend this Caffeine Informer guide: Awake: How to Quit from Caffeine for Good or this set of capsules to help you Wean Caffeine