Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has asked the Food and Drug Administration to look into an energy drink made by YouTube stars Logan Paul and KSI that has a “eye-popping” level of caffeine and appears to target children in its social media marketing.
PRIME Energy has 200 milligrammes of caffeine, which is the equivalent to more than two cups of coffee, about six Coca-Cola cans, or 2.5 cans of Red Bull.
“200 milligrammes is a lot for a child,” said Dr. Ran Goldman, a paediatrician and professor of paediatrics at the University of British Columbia.
Caffeine should be avoided by youngsters, according to Goldman and other paediatric nutrition experts.
According to Chenin Nickel, an assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition at the University of Nevada, Reno, even a small amount of caffeine might produce anxiety, jitters, decreased appetite, or an increase in heart rate or blood pressure in children.
“It is possible for kids to overdose on caffeine if they drink too much,” Nickel added. “Because caffeine is a stimulant that affects the central nervous system, an overdose in children can result in seizures, abnormal heart rhythms, coma, and even death.”
Last year, Paul and KSI launched the PRIME beverage brand. Its initial product, PRIME Hydration, is a caffeine-free sports drink. PRIME Energy, on the other hand, debuted in January and contains nearly the same amount of caffeine as some other popular energy drinks, such as 5-hour Energy and Ghost, but far more than Monster or Red Bull.
” Children see it on their phones or as they scroll, and they actually need it, and the problem here is that this product has so much caffeine in it that it puts Red Bull to shame, but unlike Red Bull, this product has one true target market: children under the age of 18,” Schumer, D-N.Y., said.