Markey, Durbin, Blumenthal Call for Increased Disclosure, Transparency in New Comprehensive Report on Energy Drink Consumption

Press Release

In the latest step in their ongoing investigation into the energy drink industry, Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) today released a new report: "Buzz Kill: A Survey of Popular Energy Drinks Finds Majority of the Market Unwilling to Make Commitments to Protect Adolescents" that reveals that while energy drink companies have made great progress in terms of eliminating marketing and promotion activities that target children under the age of 12 and children in K-12school settings, they refuse to take similar steps to voluntarily stop outreach and marketing to teenagers. The report also reveals that energy drink companies are blurring the lines between the two categories of energy drinks and sports drinks, producing products that are marketed as helping with rehydration and electrolyte balance, but that also contain high levels of caffeine and other specialty energy drink ingredients.

In fall 2013, following a July hearing on energy drinks held by the Senate Commerce Committee, the Senators sent letters to 16 companies that produce major energy drink brands to assess the extent to which the energy drink industry as a whole will commit to voluntary measures that will better protect young consumers and prevent misuse. Twelve companies responded and the report provides additional information about what is currently known about the health concerns of energy drinks and how these products are marketed.

"Unfortunately, a minority of companies who drive the majority of energy drink sales has refused to make any commitments that would protect teenagers from potentially dangerous marketing and promotion activities," states the report. "Unfortunately, as long as early development of brand loyalty is seen as a competitive market advantage, energy drink companies will continue with the practice of marketing to teens in the absence of regulation that prohibits it."

"It is time for these energy drink companies to stand up as good corporate citizens and agree to measures for appropriate marketing and consumption of their products, especially to teens," said Senator Markey in separate comment. "When negative health impacts from these beverages are possible, consumers need to be protected and any misleading marketing practices must be stopped."

"Despite energy drink makers' claims of not marketing their products to teenagers, a quick glance at social media or a drop by at a local concert shows that those claims just aren't based in fact," said Senator Durbin in separate comments. "The truth is that in the absence of federal regulation, energy drink companies are using effective marketing tactics to reach young people -- and sadly it's working. It is past time for this industry to heed the advice of public health experts across the country and take commonsense steps to protect young people from getting hooked on their product."

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