Rant Banning Enegry Drinks from Minors?

Disclosure: rant: please don't flame

New Jersey plans to ban "super-caffeinated energy drinks and supplements" from minors under the age of 18. Maine and Kentucky have also attempted to ban energy drinks from teens, but neither passed into law. The crazy part is being a 16 year old in New Jersey, i can get my hands on every thing from pot to meth, i don't do drugs btw, yet the legislators would rather put their resources towards making it illegal for me to buy caffeine, why persevere teen's health from any negative effects? America has a horrible obesity problem, they should be giving kids caffeine to make them burn some of the fat off, craziness. America is amazing hypocritical, energy drinks now, next prohibition(again), so on and so forth.

The original article has been taken down linky

Some of you probably think i should get off caffeine for writing this, sorry thats why i put rant up top

 

Legislators don't care what's being done so long as it looks like they're doing something. Especially if it's "for the children". While super-caffeinated drinks aren't especially healthy, they certainly aren't that damaging either. And it won't do a damn thing unless they ban coffee too, as ounce-for-ounce it's often more caffeinated than most energy drinks anyways.

 

I've been having to show ID to buy energy drinks for a year or so now. (I'm 17, although I look "32? 33 maybe" - actual quote )

Sainsburys seem to reckon you need to be over 16 to buy them, same with Pound Stretcher. I've not actually checked the laws here though. Although I only seem to get stopped when I'm buying >3L at once.

 

That would suck, luckily I'm no longer a minor, but I love my energy drinks, and I know plenty of 16/17 year olds who would be quite pissed off if they passed this law. And as was said in the original post, being a teenager you can get any drug you want, if you really want to seek it out you can get stuff as hard as heroin if you have the money. Instead of stopping some high school kids from drinking an energy drink to wake up the morning, you think they could try to fix some of the real problems in society.

 

However, would making it illegal only make it a social status symbol for those not old enough, increasing the desire of the drinks, 16 sounds reasonable across the pond, i think 18 is over zealous, those over 16, even 15 can recognize and limit themselves, at 16 you can drive a multi-ton car a make decisions that could kill people yet u need the government to decide if u can handle an energy drink, with sometimes less caffeine as a coffee, as firehed stated

Gravemind- I love the damn things too and i am a 16 year old that would be pissed if they did ban them, it helps me be a hell of alot more productive in afternoons as well in school etc. Personally theres nothing better then taking down a Diet Rockstar, napping for 10 maybe 15 minutes and knocking out my school work.

 

I personally think that's a massive joke but agree with what Firehead has said. Legislators just need to be shown to be doing something and especially when it involves children it's an even better idea.

I didn't realise some places in the UK asked for ID with energy drinks. I've been asked "do you need ID for these" by a Sainsbury's checkout girl who looked younger than me when buying 'Relentless' (brand of energy drink that comes in a 500ml can that does look kind of like a beer can). I just told her to swipe it and the till will tell her what she needs to do, turns out she didn't need to ID me according to the till. Interesting how some Sainsbury's require ID for energy drinks and others don't... must be a bi-law of the city or council or something.

I don't see there is anything wrong with energy drinks, provided they are taken in moderation but that's the same with most things. Maybe with all the recent news about Paul Gascoigne getting addicted to energy drinks they have decided to do something about it (50 cans a day is not moderation lol).

 

I agree with what they are doing. We've just banned them from our school as the effect they have on the kids in unreal. It's hard enough to try and teach them with all the crap they eat anyhow, but after you've had a 13 year old knock back a couple of these things over lunch... just don't bother trying to do anything worthwhile.

There is no good reason for a child to drink this sort of thing.

 

Pretty stupid (as long as it's out of school) but why the hell would anyone (let alone kids) buy that ****?

 

Cos Ramble, personally I like the taste of them (some), they do wonders when trying to revise for your uni finals (damn I have one tomorrowheh) and they go well as an alcoholic mixture when your inclined to hit the spirits

 

100th post! I agree as long as if out of school who cares, and mookboy i competely agree that kids are uncontrollable confined by the innards of school jacked up on caffeine

 

That's my attitude towards alcohol. Doesn't mean I want it banned.

 

One hand it makes it look like they are doing something, but it can also help. Here in Canada, there was an article about some guy, and he decided to be smart and drink 3 redbulls before a hockey game, he played a few minutes and had a heart attack and died. The effects when abused can be terrible, but they can't just ban it because they think it is mad. Responsible people will drink whats recommended (1 can a day or 2 cans only every 12 hours, etc) It's kind of stupid how our tax dollars are being spent banning things that really shouldn't be a problem. The energy drink companies would set an age limit to their product if they knew it could be harmful when used regularly. It's kind of stupid really how everything is working these days.

 

In our shop we sell to anyone, unless its clear that its going to be misused (as for anything realy) if they are buying 50L of the stuff then something is up. but there is no law that says they cant be sold to ages 16 or under, though all other shops in the town set it as store policy not to.

 

I'd be very interested to know what Sainsburys that is, I work there, and I've never had to ID people for energy drinks. I'm amused at the thought!
...And this is coming from someone who enjoys ID'ing people!

 

Remember drinking Red Bull at 11 and I was just nuts for the whole day, not a good thing to drink when your young.

 

Seems a bit pointless to me, I mean the things aren't linked to any major health risks as far as I know. Doesn't seem like a good reason to restrict sale of an item like that. That said, if they can show them to be causing serious problems then fair enough.

If there's one group of people who should have their rights restricted by law - it's children.

 

The problem is, Energy drinks have no effect on me. I drank 3 Full sized cans of monster, and nothing happened. Also, their not my taste(Except Bawls). Lastly, Their expensive. Although, so are drugs...

 

Banning them inside schools makes sense, I'm in favor of not making life harder on teachers than it already is. Banning them for kids in general, I'm not so keen on. It goes back to the parental responsibility thing again - I for one don't want a nanny state.

 

Bloody hell, if they enforced that law in the UK my friends and I would go completely insane.
I love my energy drinks.

Especially the "Relentless" caffeine energy drink.
The bloody can has a warning for pregnant women not to drink it, its so bad.
If I remember correctly, from my friends calculation; on around 100 cans, you can overdose on the caffeine.

Did I mention it tastes bloody lovely? xD

 

I think that energy drinks should be withheld, but not banned for younger teens, around 14 or so. Usually they are smaller, so the caffeine has a greater effect on them. 15 and up should be fine to drink them, since nothing bad really comes from energy drinks. Most energy drinks around here don't do jack s**t to anyone, except give them kidney stones, i.e. Me. There is nothing wrong with them, and half the vitamins, minerals, and additives in there do not do anything. Ginseng has been proven to give you better perception and alertness, but something like taurine is only good for cats. Taurine(L-Taurine) is a vitamin and when cats do not have enough of it they lose their eye sight. What does this do for humans? nothing so far.
Let the kids have their bloody energy drinks.