WHO study warns of health dangers with rising energy drinks consumption

A study by the World Health Organisation Regional Office for Europe has warned of dangerous health consequences in children from increasing consumption of energy drinks.

These non-alcoholic beverages contain caffeine, vitamins and other ingredients such as taurine, ginseng, and guarana, which are marketed as energy boosting agents.

A primary research on health risks, consequences and policies related to energy drink consumption have led the authors to believe that there are reasons for concern, with scope for further research.

The study says: "As energy drink sales are rarely regulated by age, unlike alcohol and tobacco, and there is a proven potential negative effect on children, there is the potential for a significant public health problem in the future."

According to the European Food Safety Authority, 30% of adults, 68% of adolescents and 18% of children below ten years consume energy drinks.

Apart from setting an upper limit for the amount of caffeine allowed in a single serving of energy drinks, the authors have suggested several other actions to minimise the risk from energy drinks such as regulations to enforce restriction of labelling and sales of energy drinks to children and adolescents and enforcing standards for responsible marketing to young people by the energy drink industry.

It has also suggested training health care practitioners to be aware of the risks and symptoms of energy drinks consumption.

Patients with a history of diet problems and substance abuse, both alone and combined with alcohol, should be screened for the heavy consumption of energy drinks. It has also laid stress on the importance of educating the public about the risks of mixing alcohol with energy drinks.

While energy drinks can be sold in all EU countries, some countries have introduced regulations, including setting rules for sales to children. Hungary has introduced energy drinks in a public health tax that that was introduced in 2012. Sweden has restricted the sales of some types of energy drinks to pharmacies and sales to children.

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Image: WHO’s study has revealed the ill-effects of energy drinks on children. Photo: courtesy of Salvatore Vuono/freedigitalphotos.net.