Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
containing
chocolate
have
minimal
amounts
of
caffeine,
with
few
items
exceeding 15 mg per serving.
Caffeine is the main active ingredient in energy drinks, many of which
contain 70-80 mg per 8 oz serving (Seifert et al 2011), and many of these
beverages are sold in 16 oz and 24 oz serving sizes. Although the FDA limits
caffeine in soft drinks, which are categorized as food, there is no such
regulation of energy drinks, which are classified not as food but as dietary
supplements. As such, these beverages often contain a number of additional
vitamin, mineral, and herbal products that are unregulated (Reissig et al 2009).
In countries such as Canada, Australia, and various members of the
European Union (EU), the sale of energy drinks is restricted based on age,
and, energy drinks are required to carry health warnings and disclose the
health
d
n
0
t
2
n
g
|
3
risks
associated
with
their
consumption.
No
such
regulations
are
currently in place in the United States (Seifert et al 2011).
19.2 Trends in Caffeine Consumption
In the US, individuals under the age of 12 are prohibited from purchasing
caffeine in tablet form (e.g., brand names NoDoz, Vivarin, etc.); however, no
such regulations apply to soda, coffee, tea, chocolate, energy drinks, or other
caffeine-added products such as water, gum, and mints (Seifert et al 2011).
These products are marketed directly to children and adolescents (Bramstedt
2007; Temple 2009) and many of these products are available for purchase by
children in schools.
Caffeine consumption in childhood is largely accounted for by soft drinks
and chocolate, and consumption of these items has increased dramatically in
recent years (Frary et al 2005; Temple 2009; Warzak et al 2011). Perhaps
coincident with this rise in caffeine consumption has been the development of
energy drinks, typically marketed to a younger demographic. Half of the
energy drink market consists of young children, adolescents and young adults
under 25 years of age (Seifert et al 2011).
The increase in children's daily caffeine intake over the past several decades
raises a number of concerns regarding the long-term impact of caffeine
consumption on the developing child and adolescent. It has been estimated
that adolescents 12-17 years old consume approximately 70 mg of caffeine per
day, which is less than that found in a typical 8 oz cup of coffee. Interestingly,
even children two to 11 years old have been recorded as consuming caffeine,
although it tends to be much less than that consumed by adults. Precise
estimates of caffeine consumption in young children are difficult to obtain and
until recently, the caffeine consumption data for children living in the United
States was over a decade old (Knight et al 2004). Moreover, there are now so
many sources of caffeine that it is arguable that many children and
adolescents, as well as their parents, may be unaware of, or unable to report
their true volume of caffeine consumption.
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