In the quiet Panera Bread location on Fleming Island, Florida, Dennis Brown he had a habit of ordering two drinks one after the other. No one would have ever thought that this routine could have fatal consequences. Last October 9, after consuming an energy drink (a “Charged Lemonade”) Brown suffered a fatal cardiac arrest.
This tragic event has shined a spotlight on drinks with high doses of caffeine, which have now become a pillar of modern culture, and raised an important question: has the collective obsession with these energy drinks become dangerous?
The story behind the “case”
Brown's death sparked a lawsuit against Panera Bread: the theory is that Brown, usually a consumer of iced tea, draft beer or water, was not aware of the caffeine content in Charged Lemonade. In its 800ml size, the typical 30-ounce US cup, the drink contains 390ml of caffeine: a dose dangerously close to the limit set and by the American FDA is by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
The prosecution states, in any case, that the drink is not even advertised as an energy drink. Elizabeth Crawford, attorney for the Brown family, called the drink “a wolf in sheep's clothing.”
Panera Bread, for its part, defends itself by claiming that the sad event was not caused by one of their products. Dennis Brown's unstable medical condition (as well as that of a student who suffered cardiac arrest in 2019 after drinking the same energy drink) would be the main cause.
Who's right?
Meanwhile, it must be said that these two reported cases are certainly not the only ones.
the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received reports of 18 suspicious deaths and 150 hospitalizations potentially linked to the consumption of energy drinks. In another case, five people may have died in the past three years after drinking Monster Energy, a popular energy drink high in caffeine. Even in Canada the reports are different, and in general the suspicions are not far-fetched: some studies have suggested that energy drink consumption may be associated with heart problems and other health problems.
What is worrying, however, is the trend.
A growing trend: increasingly stronger drinks
Brown's case sheds light on a troubling trend: the growing strength and popularity of caffeinated drinks. In January 2022, Premium, an energy drink developed by YouTube stars Logan Paul e KSI, has wreaked havoc on the Internet, especially among their 40 million mostly young Instagram followers.
This, upon closer inspection, is a trend within a trend: the rise of energy drinks in recent decades is largely due to their marketing, often aimed at young people and adolescents. Football teams, extreme sports, esports and influencers "pump" these "caffeine loads" at full blast. A billion euro/dollar round.
Result? Teenagers and children (yes, children) are among the largest consumers of these drinks. As if they weren't already "targeted" enough ultra-processed foods.
Energy Drink, abuse of young people: some data
Secondo a study commissioned by EFSA, the age group most likely to consume energy drinks is teenagers, with 68% of the total respondents. For children between the ages of 3 and 10, energy drinks are approximately 43% of their total caffeine exposure.
Another study found that 41% of adolescents in Europe consume energy drinks for physical activity purposes. In terms of consumption by country, the data varies. For example, among adolescents, consumption ranges from 48% in Greece to 82% in the Czech Republic. Among children, consumption ranges from 6% in Hungary to 40% in the Czech Republic.
Regulation and health concerns
In addition to containing large amounts of caffeine, the ingredients added in some energy drinks can also be harmful. “Energy drinks often contain other stimulants such as B vitamins, L-carnitine, L-theanine and glucuronolactone,” he says Alex Ruani, PhD researcher at University College London. “When combined, they confront drinkers with a potentially dangerous cocktail that can disrupt multiple systems in the body, including the brain and heart.” It is also possible to become addicted to it. “So be it cup sugar that the caffeine they have addictive properties,” says Ruani, who also points evidence of multiple hospital admissions and deaths of children and adults attributed to energy drink consumption.
Growing concern about these drinks has led to regulatory interventions in several countries over the years. Nations like Lithuania, Latvia, Türkiye and Poland have introduced blanket bans on the sale of energy drinks to under-18s. In the United Kingdom, a government consultation that began as far back as 2018 on a similar ban was halted during the pandemic. These steps respond to a modern trend, but they are also part of a pattern that dates back more than a century, when as early as 1909 the United States Department of Agriculture expressed concerns about the excessive amount of caffeine in Coca-Cola (which meanwhile, with its 39mg of caffeine per can, it was outclassed).
Energy drink, you need a healthier vision
Faced with these concerns, the market is witnessing a transition of energy drinks towards products perceived as healthier. However, experts warn that adding “healthy” ingredients doesn't automatically turn an energy drink into a health tonic – if anything, it's a trend that risks becoming even more subtle and dangerous.
How is it resolved, then? Consumer information and education could be the key to avoiding future accidents and promoting healthier choices. Panera Bread, to close the circle and for obvious reasons, understood this before the others. Now, on the label of its energy drinks and on its website it has added clear warnings: “use in moderation. NOT RECOMMENDED FOR children, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant or breastfeeding women."
It's so difficult?
