Needed attention on energy drinks

Opinion editor's note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.

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The compound's chemical name is 1, 3, 7-Trimethylpurine-2,6-dione. It's a stimulant that occurs naturally in many foods and drinks, but it's also added to a variety of products, making it difficult for even savvy consumers to avoid.

For healthy adults, 400 milligrams or less a day is "an amount not generally associated with dangerous, negative effects," according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The agency has not set a similar threshold for children, though the American Academy of Pediatrics discourages use of this ingredient by children and adolescents "due to its adverse impact on sleep and blood pressure."

By now, readers may have guessed the name of this chemical. It's caffeine, a substance that many of us imbibe in coffee, pop and other products. Longtime familiarity with this stimulant may have led to fewer consumer qualms about its use, especially in children, although a new generation of "energy drinks" popularized on social media can contain several hundred milligrams of it in a single bottle or can.

For comparison, there are 34 milligrams (mg) of caffeine in a can of Coca-Cola and 46 mg in Diet Coke. A cup of green tea: 28. Coffee clocks in at 96 mg per 8-ounce cup. Red Bull, an older but still popular energy drink, has 80 mg in an 8.4-ounce container.

But those amounts are eclipsed and then some in beverages advertised by "influencers" on TikTok and other platforms. That's why a recent congressional call for scrutiny of these highly caffeinated drinks' impact on young people's health is timely and necessary.

The energy drink Prime — which comes in blue raspberry, tropical punch, lemon-lime and other flavors — packs 200 mg of caffeine into one of its colorful containers. Ghost energy drink, which comes in Sour Patch Kids candy flavors, has 200 mg in a 16-ounce drink.

Bang, which comes in Rainbow Unicorn, Purple Kiddles and other flavors, has even more caffeine. There can be 300 mg in a single serving.

Many parents would be alarmed if they were told that products containing high amounts of 1, 3, 7-Trimethylpurine-2,6-dione were being marketed to kids. They shouldn't let down their guard simply because the label on these drinks lists caffeine, a more familiar term.

Caffeine side effects can include headaches, dizziness, "the jitters," racing heartbeat, insomnia, increased blood pressure and dehydration, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, is sounding the alarm about the drinks' caffeine content and marketing. Earlier this week, he called for the FDA to investigate risks for kids, spotlighting the Prime energy drinks in particular.

He called the amount of caffeine in the beverages "eye-popping" and said the drinks' label and website lack warnings and other information to help parents make informed decisions, the Washington Post reported. Schumer also said that Prime is "feverishly" targeting children.

To be fair, Prime energy drink's label does state that the product is not recommended for children under 18 or for pregnant or nursing women, another population that health groups advise to avoid caffeine. But that small, hard-to-read statement is overshadowed by the colorful containers, candy flavors and heavy promotion on TikTok, a platform that has "rocketed in popularity since its North American debut," according to a Pew Research Center survey of 13- to 17-year-olds.

In an interview with an editorial writer, Dr. Bill Roberts, a newly retired University of Minnesota Medical School professor and sports medicine physician, scoffed at claims the drinks aren't marketed to kids. While he said he wasn't "overly worried" about the occasional use of highly caffeinated beverages like this, he said the drinks aren't designed for kids and recommends they avoid them.

For those seeking an edge in athletics or school performance, nothing beats "good sleep hygiene," Roberts said.

Roberts, who is also the chief medical officer for the American College of Sports Medicine, said the new congressional attention on highly caffeinated drinks is helpful. It could yield better research and insights into how this stimulant affects young bodies, as well as better information for parents. In particular, the Star Tribune Editorial Board would like to see the FDA set a recommended intake level that is safe for children.

Said Roberts: "The publicity over this could do some good and will do no harm."