Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to look into a popular energy drink that he says is posing health risks to children.
“PRIME Energy Drink has so much caffeine that it could endanger kids’ health. But it’s being marketed to kids! Parents and pediatricians are worried. The FDA must investigate PRIME for its absurd caffeine content and its marketing targeting kids on social media,” Mr. Schumer wrote in a July 10 tweet.
Prime Energy is backed by two well-known influencers on YouTube—KSI and Logan Paul. Launched last year, the drink has become a viral hit among youngsters. However, the high content of caffeine has been a cause of concern.
While Prime positions itself as a vegan zero-sugar drink, it has 200 milligrams of caffeine per a single 12-ounce can. That’s almost as much as in two 250-milliliter (ml) containers of Red Bull and equivalent to about six 250-ml cans of Coca-Cola.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) has advised children younger than the age of 12 against consuming drinks with caffeine. Kids between the ages of 12 and 18 are asked to limit their daily caffeine intake to a maximum of 100 milligrams.
The elevated caffeine levels of Prime have prompted some schools in Australia and the UK to impose a ban on the drink—with pediatricians warning that consuming the beverage could result in anxiety, heart issues, and digestive problems.
The company sells another drink called Prime Hydration, which doesn’t contain caffeine. In a letter to the FDA on July 9, Mr. Schumer pointed out that the online marketing does little to differentiate the two brands, leading parents to unknowingly buy the Prime Energy drink, which he called a “cauldron of caffeine,” according to the Associated Press.
Targeting Children
On its website, the company stated that the Prime Energy drink “is not recommended for children under the age of 18, women who are pregnant or nursing, or individuals who are sensitive to caffeine.”However, both KSI and Logan Paul have numerous fans among the younger population, thus boosting the drink’s appeal to teens despite the warning label. The YouTubers collectively have more than 100 million followers.
Moreover, the YouTube influencers themselves have supported consumption of Prime to kids, without clarifying which version of the drink they are promoting. In September 2022, when a school prohibited Prime on campus, KSI openly claimed that he would be sending Prime to schools that ban the drink.
“A school had the AUDACITY to ban Prime, leaving their students dehydrated. To counter this blatant wrongdoing, we’ll be sending a truckload of Prime to this school and many other schools. Just retweet this tweet to represent your school to get some Prime,” KSI said in a Sept. 28, 2022, tweet.
Parents have raised concerns about the drink online.
“We had an email warning from my child’s school about the dangers of a new craze called Prime Energy drink,” author Elizabeth Shane wrote in a Feb. 22 tweet.
“It’s stronger than Red Bull, promoted on social media. Another kid tried to sell it to my child. I’ve had no choice but to report this to school for the sake of them and others.”
Health Risks
According to the AACAP, thousands of people annually, including children, receive emergency treatment related to caffeine use.“Youth with certain health conditions such as heart problems, seizures, or migraines may be more at risk for caffeine-related problems than others,” the organization stated.
Caffeine use can induce adverse effects such as headaches, insomnia, anxiety, hyperactivity, tremors, and dizziness among children. In addition to sodas and energy drinks, other sources of caffeine include coffee, tea, lip balms, chocolate, and supplements such as weight loss products.
“Children view advertising for caffeinated products on many different platforms, and they are also watching how their parents and friends use caffeine. It is best for parents to educate their children about common sources of caffeine and how to read food and drink labels,” the AACAP stated.
The organization advised parents to carefully check the labels of the items they purchase to gauge the amount of caffeine present in them.
A September 2018 study published at the National Library of Medicine warned that the high consumption of energy drinks among the youth is concerning “due to the range of reported adverse reactions attributed to excessive caffeine consumption, ranging from mild sleep disturbances to death.”
“There is substantial evidence to suggest that the risk energy drinks pose to health are incredibly hazardous and should not be consumed by children and adolescents,” the study reads.
