Energy Drinks Banned from Underage Consumption

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Energy Drinks Banned from Underage Consumption

Written by Malman Law, reviewed by Steve J. Malman.

After a recent increase in lawsuits involving the wrongful death of individuals caused by energy drinks, physicians gathered in Chicago for the annual meeting of the American Medical Association (AMA) to vote against the sale of energy drinks like Monster to consumers under the age of 18. The group believes energy drinks are unsafe for adolescents and preteens.

One recent lawsuit against Monster involved the death of a 19-year-old man in California. The cause of death was determined to be arrhythmia and cardiomyopathy, conditions possibly caused in part by long-term consumption of Monster. The teen had supposedly consumed the drink daily for three years prior to his death, having had two 16oz. cans the day he died. The family decided to hold the manufacturers accountable for his death, with help from a team of personal injury attorneys who had handled similar cases.

According to AMA board member Alexander Ding, MD, “Energy drinks contain massive and excessive amounts of caffeine that may lead to a host of health problems in young people, including heart problems, and banning companies from marketing these products to adolescents is a common sense action that we can take to protect the health of American kids.”

If you believe that energy drinks are responsible for hospitalizations or even wrongful death, manufactures of the drink can be held liable for compensation. You can talk with a personal injury lawyer about the next steps to take, and develop a case.