In nearby Maryland, a few state legislators are looking to ban the sale of energy drinks to minors, and criminalize possession.  You can read more about it here.  Importantly, these proposals are based more on emotion than science and fact.

Despite sensational news stories and fear-mongering by critics, there is actually a lot of credible information out there that supports the safety of energy drinks and their ingredients.  And our industry welcomes the opportunity to help educate policymakers and consumers on the facts about energy drinks.

For example, contrary to common perception, energy drinks contain significantly less caffeine than a similarly-sized coffeehouse coffee – many only about half as much.  Further, an analysis commissioned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and updated in 2012, as well as a published International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) survey of more than 37,000 people shows that caffeine consumption in the U.S. has remained stable during the most recent period analyzed, and coffee remains the primary source of caffeine in most age groups.  Moreover, recent data shows no caffeine consumption from energy drinks among children under 12 and extremely low consumption for adolescents aged 12 to 18.  For college-age adults aged 19-22, the same data show that caffeine consumed from energy drinks was far less than from other beverages, such as coffee, tea and soda.

Public policy should be based on facts and science, and proposals to ban the sale of these products under the guise of public safety are based on neither.