Russian public health officials have launched a campaign against energy drinks, a television news report said Thursday.
Gennadiy Onischenko, Russia's chief public health official, has issued a pronouncement that energy-drink producers must reduce the caffeine content in their products and carry a health warning on the containers, Russian Ren TV said. He also recommended banning the sale of energy drinks at discos and nightclubs.
If Onischenko's recommendation becomes a regulation, it could cause the drink-makers considerable losses, Ren TV said.
"Sales of this type of product may fall by some 40 to 50 percent because this segment of the market -- discos, clubs and bars - is where the most active section of the young generation spends their free time and the consumption there is quite high," said Igor Barbashov, general director of Happyland, which produces low-alcohol cocktails.
Energy drinks are beverages containing legal stimulants, such as caffeine, as well as vitamins and minerals. Caffeine can cause addiction if taken in large doses or prolonged use, although withdrawal usually produces only mild side effects.
© Copyright 2005 by United Press International
