Dubious research tied to Red Bull has shaped energy drink policy

JJimmc414 about 2 hours ago 22 commentsRead Article on theexamination.org

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somasomasoma•about 1 hour ago

Everyone knows caffeine isn't that great for you, its already labeled and its not deceiving anyone and many abstain. What they should ban is Gatorade/Poweraid which is tricking everyone. Ask a nephrologist or cardiologist if they drink it! THE THIRST MUTILATOR!!!!!!!!!!!!

jtbayly•about 1 hour ago

can you point me to any research?

PaulRobinson•about 1 hour ago

I never again want to work on a team full of people who drink a lot of energy drinks.

I'm not going to pretend I'm a saint and I only ever sip mineral water or kombucha (although I do like both), but that stuff sends people crazy in a long term way I've not seen before. I'd rather people were slightly tipsy after a lunch in the local pub than on that stuff.

xnx•about 1 hour ago

Different than coffee?

tombert•about 1 hour ago

There certainly is kind of a different culture around people who chug energy drinks compared to people who drink coffee.

Energy drinks in the fridge at a job sort of signals that this company is part of that "grindset hustle culture" startup, which itself likes to employ a certain..."type".

swores•20 minutes ago

I think there's a certain type that you're talking about that does tend towards energy drinks like that, but it's not true in the other direction, as that type is a minority of energy drink drinkers. Just a particularly noticeable one.

I've not been a fan of them myself since I was a teenager years ago, but I've worked with quite a few people in all sorts of roles, whose drink of choice was whatever their favourite energy drink was, either having one occasionally or between one and a few a day, while being completely relaxed, mature, and just nothing to do with any sort of stereotypes you might think of in connection with energy drinks.

john_strinlai•about 1 hour ago

there seems to be 3 different issues in this article:

- mixing alcohol and energy drinks (health-wise, e.g. arrhythmia)

- mixing alcohol and energy drinks (psychologically, e.g. increased risky behavior)

- age restriction on energy drinks to prevent kids from drinking them

i am not positive how i feel on the first two. i could be convinced that the third is reasonable for some age group, though i think it would be silly to ban it for all under-21s.

harimau777•about 1 hour ago

My understanding is that part of the problem with mixing caffine with alcohol is that it can prevent someone from passing out; which is the body's defense mechanism against alcohol poisoning.

From that perspective I think that an argument could be made that restricting caffinated alcohol is regulating substances with known health risks.

Full disclosure: I like vodka Redbulls. So I'm not saying this like I'm someone who is moral panicking.

doctorpangloss•about 1 hour ago

Four Lokos were indeed banned in Massachusetts.

willy_k•42 minutes ago

Four Loko had to take the caffeine out across the US years ago. Now it’s just 8 standard drinks in a tall boy for $4 - still very much a problem but no caffeine.

kube-system•39 minutes ago

The original caffeinated Four Loko formula was discontinued everywhere 16 years ago.

TylerE•43 minutes ago

No, the bodies defense against alcohol is vomiting. "Passing out" increases risk, namely that you vomit while asleep, and then choke on the vomit.

randysalami•about 1 hour ago

Vodka Red Bull always seemed crazy to me. Caffeine lasts like 6 hours so I drink one at 2 am, what the hell am I doing! Granted people do cocaine so maybe it’s inconsequential.

Drinking some coffee at 6 and 10 though before a night out, good move. Where I am, the nights can go to 4 or 6 easily.

tomjakubowski•34 minutes ago

There is actually quite a lot of variation from person to person in caffeine elimination half-life, from about 1.5-9 hours. Some of my extended family could drink a cup of coffee right before bed without issue.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK223808/

xnx•about 1 hour ago

Espresso martini is the popular caffeine and alcohol combo now.

randysalami•40 minutes ago

Good callout! More popular with the ladies too

rpmisms•about 1 hour ago

Crown and Red Bull (tastes better) is my order if I want to drink and dance.

jpalawaga•about 1 hour ago

if you're up til 6, your next day is already shot. who cares about caffeine at 2am at that point.

ge96•about 1 hour ago

long live 4 loco

yrjrjjrjjtjjr•about 1 hour ago

Opposition to energy drinks seems like a moral panic to me. Like I don't see anyone calling for bans on coffee and Irish coffee.

nemomarx•about 1 hour ago

I could believe the UK might try to ban selling coffee to under 21s too at the current rate, honestly. There's probably at least one study about stunting growth with coffee?

ls612•about 1 hour ago

Show ID at Starbucks in the yookay, what a country lol.

swores•39 minutes ago

I mean, there's more than enough reasons to criticise or laugh at the UK that actually exist, without mocking a country for a hypothetical of someone online that hasn't actually been proposed by any politicians or, well, anybody at all?

crtasm•about 1 hour ago

Well, are either of those sold in cans and marketed to children?

yrjrjjrjjtjjr•43 minutes ago

Coffee is sold in cans yes. Very popular in Japan. Elsewhere... I think I saw Starbucks cans? Or was it bottles?

asdff•22 minutes ago

Anything with any sort of flavor is argued as being sold to children these days. Except bubblegum flavored vodka I guess. Somehow that has always gotten the pass while people handwring over juul pods.

crtasm•5 minutes ago

I'm not sure I follow what you're trying to say - at least here I don't see marketing campaigns for flavored vodka targeting children, and unlike energy drinks it's not on store shelves right next to soft drinks.

seanicus•about 1 hour ago

Not sure how things work on the backend but we're missing "alcohol" or "vodka" in the headline on HN, as it is on the page.

cyanregiment•about 1 hour ago

> In England, an 18-year-old woman suffered three cardiac arrests after downing 10 Jägerbombs

I wonder if there was a pre-existing condition. And... three ???

She's fine now. Dancin on TikTok like everyone else

Lammy•about 1 hour ago

That's okay, I'll still keep drinking that garbage.

googaar•about 1 hour ago

Feels like common sense to avoid energy drinks.

The best case is it does no harm.

Im definitely in the minority but there’s just zero value to me in drinking an energy drink. If you need energy that bad, there’s several options that are less artificial with similar effects.

I’ve tasted a Celsius here and there, don’t get me wrong. I get the appeal, but it’s just silly to not consider the health effects. I’m also anti-syrup and sodas so I’m a bit odd I guess.

nemomarx•about 1 hour ago

What health effects compared to other caffeine sources (pills, coffee)

I haven't really noticed any, or heard much studies that wouldn't apply to similar amounts of coffee at least. Do the other supplemented ingredients add a lot of harm?

ls612•about 1 hour ago

No it is just a moral panic because college students like to drink vodka Red Bulls, as opposed to drinking Irish coffees or any similar combination of caffeine and alcohol.

AbsurdCensor•about 1 hour ago

Yeah, seems like the problem is alcohol + caffeine, and at least in the US, those combinations in a single drink have been banned (ie Four Loko)

serial_dev•40 minutes ago

> The best case is it does no harm.

No it’s not. The best case it gives you energy (it’s in the name!) to do whatever you want and it does no harm.

Assuming it actually does no harm, why wouldn’t you want more energy any time you want it, any time you drink some delicious fizzy neon green liquid?

I’m saying this as someone who doesn’t drink energy drink (because I assume and feel that it actually causes harm, not because I couldn’t use some extra boost in energy sometimes).

nemomarx•15 minutes ago

what harm are you thinking of? any pointers?

gruez•about 1 hour ago

>The best case is it does no harm.

Isn't it pretty obvious that people drink them for... energy?

exabrial•about 1 hour ago

The better question should be: Is it any of our business?

The answer is No. It is none of your business. Go live your life and quit trying to control others, which is all this nonsense is about.

fhdkweig•about 1 hour ago

People can make up their own minds as to whether they are willing to take the risks, but first they must be given accurate information. It is important to know if the studies that say something is safe has been funded by the industries that profit from it.

ryu2k2•about 1 hour ago

It sure is our business if companies are misappropriating science to sell harmful products or advertize harmful misuse of their products.