BRADENTON, Fla. /Florida Newswire/ — The report that a teenager died as a result of drinking an energy drink in combination with other caffeinated drinks has prompted calls for improved safety regulations on energy supplements by Attorney Bernard F. Walsh.
Personal injury Attorney Bernard F. Walsh has called for improved safety regulations of energy drinks following the death of a teenager as a result of consuming multiple caffeinated drinks. Several news outlets have reported on the death of a teenager that was caused by consuming several caffeinated drinks including a coffee, a soft drink and an energy drink within a short span of time.
Often taken for granted, and nearly ubiquitous in soft drinks, many do not realize that caffeine is a drug. Classified as a central nervous system stimulant, caffeine is legal and unregulated in nearly all parts of the world. However, with the increasing popularity of so-called energy drinks, caffeine is also frequently being included with a host other ingredients designed to increase alertness while maintaining a sweet taste that is easy to drink.
Many such “energy drinks” are also readily available in large, multi-serving containers, and often are marketed specifically to young people.
Personal Injury Attorney Bernard Walsh of the Bradenton office of Shapiro Goldman Babboni Fernandez & Walsh had this comment on the safety of energy drinks, “While it’s certainly true that in most cases caffeine has been a safe addition to beverages for many years, the potential harm of highly potent, multi-serving energy drinks should be cause for concern. Many do not know that due to their classification as dietary supplements, energy drinks are not regulated by the FDA allowing manufacturers to sidestep limits on caffeine.
“Many such drinks contain a potent combination of large amounts of caffeine combined with vitamins and any number of additional herbal extracts without any regulatory oversight by the FDA. When you combine that, with the fact that many energy drinks are developed to taste similar to sweet soft drinks and the fact that they are often sold in large cans with multiple servings, the potential danger to children and individuals with heart health issues raises concerns.
“As with many other potentially harmful products such as e-cigarettes, energy drinks are frequently marketed to a younger audience. Given the tragic events in South Carolina, I urge lawmakers to re-think the rules about energy drinks to reflect the reality of the supplements and drinks that are being marketed to young people.”
About Attorney Bernard Walsh:
Bernard Walsh is an active member in multiple legal organizations including the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers, the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, member of the Florida Justice Association Board of Governors, and the National Association of Distinguished Counsel.
A partner at the Personal Injury law firm of Shapiro, Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez and Walsh; Bernard Walsh has won one of Florida’s largest motorcycle accident recoveries and has an AV Preeminent(r) rating on Martindale-Hubbell(R), and is a Superb rated attorney with Avvo.com.
Shapiro Goldman Babboni Fernandez & Walsh
5291 Office Park Boulevard, Bradenton FL, 34203
Local: 941-752-7200
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