why should alcohol energy drinks be restricted?

[CountryWolf07]

VERY interesting topic I am currently talking about in my alcohol & society class at Ohio State - What's your take on this, why do you think it should be restricted?

I think it should be restricted because of drinking age, how most people do not realize there is actually alcohol in the energy drinks. They put themselves at risk drinking these, too as well.

So,

why should alcohol energy drinks be restricted?

[RICHARD]

It's just like the feeding a drunk a cup of coffee routine.

That's all you need on the road. Some hyped up drunkard buzzing around the streets?

[CountryWolf07]

It's just like the feeding a drunk a cup of coffee routine.

That's all you need on the road. Some hyped up drunkard buzzing around the streets?

I agree, RICHARD. Just as you all know, I am on the PRO debate about this topic.

[finn's mom]

Which energy drinks have alcohol in them?

[Karen]

I am sure if they have any alcohol in them, they are restricted for sale - it's the law! Maybe they have imperceptible amounts ... or, like cooking extracts, they are too weak for anyone to get "drunk" off of ...

[finn's mom]

Actually, when I first read the title, I thought you were referring to combining alcohol (a downer) with an energy drink (an upper), such as a jager bomb (jagermeister mixed with red bull). I don't know, I guess I don't get what you're saying should be restricted.

I personally think the energy drinks are ok, just like coffee or soda, when consumed in moderation. Problem with energy drinks, coffee, soda, etc, is the simple fact that people are gluttonous over-indulgers (myself included...giving up soda while I'm pregnant has been surprisingly easy, but usually, I crave them).

[catnapper]

Well, because some people can't tolerate the excessive caffeine... my step daughter for instance ended up in the hospital last year. Her heart rate outrageously high, as was her blood pressure. We narrowed it down to the energy drinks.

[Cinder & Smoke]

Good Point here >>>

Which energy drinks have alcohol in them?

And what's the real Subject of the debate??

"Energy Drinks" are a popular NON-alcoholic "sports beverage"
(of dubious merit, according to some folks and medical people),
that combines high levels of caffine with other NON-alcoholic ingredients.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_drink >>>

Ingredients:
Generally energy drinks include methylxanthines (including caffeine), B vitamins, and herbs.
Other common ingredients are guarana, which has a high caffeine content, taurine,
plus various forms of ginseng, maltodextrin, carbonated water, inositol, carnitine, creatine,
glucuronolactone and ginkgo biloba. Some contain high levels of sugar, and many brands
also offer artificially-sweetened 'diet' versions. The central ingredient in most energy drinks
is caffeine, the same stimulant found in coffee or tea, often in the form of guarana or yerba mate.
The average 237 milliliter (8 fluid ounce) energy drink has about 80 mg of caffeine,
with 480 mL (16 fl. oz.) drinks containing around 150 mg.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

The "other" "Energy Drinks", which are being pulled off the market, are
"a malt beverage that contains caffeine, and is clearly marked as containing alcohol ...”
August 23, 2007 by Associated Press
from: http://www.infinitehealthresources.c...10/2/1418.html >>>

	Energy Drinks Under Fire Attorneys general are asking federal regulators to crack down on the makers of energy drinks containing alcohol and caffeine, accusing them of misleading advertisement for a product that can pose serious health and safety risks. In a recent letter to John Manfreda, the administrator of the federal Alcohol and tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, attorneys general from 28 states, Guam and the District of Columbia warn that aggressive marketing of alcoholic energy drinks targets young people who are buying energy drinks without alcohol. Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said beverage companies are making outlandish and outrageous health-related claims about the drinks. “Combining alcohol with caffeine hardly seems healthy – and that false claim is what we seek to halt,” Mr. Blumenthal said. “Nonalcoholic energy drinks are very popular with today’s youth,” Oregon’s attorney general Hardy Myers said. “Beverage companies are unconsciously appealing to young drinkers with claims about the stimulating properties of alcoholic energy drinks.” The attorneys general singled out three manufacturers: SABMiller PLC’s Miller Brewing Co. for Sparks and Sparks Plus; Anheuser-Busch Cos. For Bud Extra; and Charge Beverages Corp. of Portland, Oregon for its liquid charge and liquid core drinks. Mr. Blumenthal said some ads contain misleading health-related claims regarding the product’s effects. For example, he said, Sparks and Sparks Plus advertises canned drinks and the cases in which they are packaged to look like batteries, implying that they are energy drinks. The slogan is “Powered by Sparks,” he said. Julian Green, a spokesman for Miller Brewing, said Sparks was created only for customers who are of legal drinking age. “There is no nonalcoholic version of Sparks,” he said. “We work closely with the Trade Bureau to ensure that all of our products meet federal regulatory requirements.” Anheuser-Busch Vice President Francine Katz said the federal government approved the Bud Extra labeling. “This product is simply a malt beverage that contains caffeine, and is clearly marked as containing alcohol,” she said. The attorneys general also requested a federal investigation into the makeup of alcoholic drinks and other flavored malt beverages to determine whether, based on the percentage of distilled spirits contained in the drinks, they are properly classified as malt beverages under federal law. The malt-beverage classification, in many states, enables cheaper znd broader sale of these drinks, making them more readily available to young people than distilled spirits. Besides Oregon and Connecticut, states involved in the action are Alaska, Arizona, California, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming. ----------------------------------------------------------- So, the real 'subject of debate' needs to be more carefully defined ... are we debating the high=powered *Alcoholic* drinks; or just the low-test, high-octane "sports" variety drink?? Drink ON!

[CountryWolf07]

We are debating on BOTH - does not matter, ANY energy drink that has alcohol in it.

Thanks Phred, that article ought to help me figure out how to argue of being "PRO: In favor of regulated sales or industry restrictions."