Continued from Part 1. Manufacturers of the drinks maintain that they are safe. These companies want you to believe that since the survey doesn’t always have the details on the overall medical conditions of the individuals involved or which of the symptoms made people seek emergency treatment, the survey can’t be taken seriously.
Our Houston product recall attorneys note that among the symptoms cited were: seizures, fast heartbeat, headache, nervousness, anxiety, and insomnia. But manufacturers and marketers don’t really prioritize your health so much. They just want you to buy their product.
Data also indicates that around 42% of the emergency medical situations toed to energy drinks were among people who had also recently consumed alcohol or drugs such as Ritalin or Adderall. The age group most commonly experiencing medical emergencies from the drinks is 18- to 25-year-olds. And our Houston product recall attorneys point out that the drinks are heavily marketed to younger consumers and have a strong presence at concerts and sporting events where that age group congregates.
FDA Investigating Energy Drink Safety after Pressure from Concerned Individuals
Some health professionals are worried by the alarming rise in medical emergencies tied to energy drinks. Their concern stems in part from the fact that most people don’t seem to know the power of the drinks they’re consuming. And marketing efforts for the products don’t make it clear just what’s in the drinks. One drink might be the equivalent of 5 cups of coffee, for instance.
And two U.S. senators are pressing the FDA to take a close look at the safety of the energy drinks. So the FDA is now looking at data linking medical emergencies to consumption of the energy beverages and is undertaking an investigation of the energy drinks and their ingredients. (Source: khou.com, 1/16/13) Our Houston product recall attorneys are looking forward to seeing the outcome of the FDA investigation. Whether it will echo the manufacturers disclaimers or support the emergency room visit data remains to be seen.