French Safety Agency Warns of Energy Drink Risk

The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) has released a report that warns of the risks associated with consumption of energy drinks, particularly for children, pregnant women and people with certain genetic predispositions, such as cardiovascular or psychiatric and neurological disorders, kidney failure or liver disease.

The agency also recommends that consumers stop drinking the beverages in combination with alcohol and during physical exercise, suggesting stricter laws on advertising and prohibiting the products from sporting events and festivals. Noting that caffeine has long been consumed throughout the world, ANSES reports that its “novel and increasingly popular presentation in the form of so-called energy drinks is changing consumption patterns,” with approximately 30 percent of the French population consuming enough energy drinks “to push themselves into states of anxiety (around six espressos).”

French National Assembly Social Security Budget Rapporteur Gérard Bapt reportedly intends to propose a special tax on energy drinks in response to the “now proven associated risks to public health.” See ANSES News Release, October 1, 2013; Tax-News.com, October 3, 2013.