State Rep. Laura Fine Wants to Ban Energy Drink Sales to Kids

State Rep. Laura Fine (D-Glenview) has introduced legislation that targets energy drinks like Red Bull, 5-Hour Energy and Monster and would ban the sale of such drinks to anyone under 18 years old, Evanston Now reported.

The number of emergency-room visits linked to energy drinks doubled in four years, going from 10,000 in 2007 to 20,000 in 2011, and of those visits, 42 percent had mixed the energy drink with another stimulant while 58 percent had consumed just the drink, according to a survey of U.S. hospitals by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, ABC News reported.

Fines told Evanston Now that energy drinks can contain as much as 20 times the amount of caffeine found in coffee.

Caffeine levels in energy drinks range from about 90 milligrams (mg) to more than 500 mg in a can or bottle, while a 5-ounce cup of coffee contains 100 mg of caffeine and a 12-ounce soda contains 50 mg of caffeine, according to US News Health.

Fine serves the 17th District, which includes Evanston, Glenview, Golf, Morton Grove, Northbrook, Northfield, Skokie and Wilmette.

What do you think of Fine’s proposed legislation that could ban the sale of energy drinks to minors?