Energy Drinks Restrictions - Essay Example

?Regardless of what governmental structure watches over the stakeholders within a particular society, it can be categorically d that one of the primary functions of human society is seeking to safeguard vulnerable members that might otherwise engage in behavior that is damaging to themselves or to others. For this very reason, many societies around the world have restricted the age that individuals are allowed to purchase and consume cigarettes. Although it is only been rather recently that such a restriction has been enacted on something of a global level, the underlying rationale for this is of course with regards to the fact that cigarette smoking represents a key and verifiable health hazard to the individual. In such a way, the societal response of restricting cigarette smoking up until a certain age is not designed to remove cigarette smoking as a choice that individuals can engage in; rather, the intent is to ban cigarette smoking by individuals under a certain age with the understanding that vulnerable stakeholders within younger demographics may not have all of the requisite knowledge and experience to make an informed decision. In much the same way, many other jurisdictions and governments around the world have placed similar restrictions on drinking alcohol. Due to the fact that it is broadly understood that the adolescent mind is incapable of weighing certain risk/reward differentials, this level of societal oversight is required as a means of safeguarding and protecting vulnerable individuals. With regards to the particular topic of this brief analysis, whether or not energy drinks should be banned for sale to individuals under the age of 18, it is the strong and profound if you of this author that they in fact should be. Although no one wants to live in a society in which an oppressive and overarching level of control defines each and every choice that can be made, the decision to restrict energy drink sales to individuals under the age of 18 only makes logical and reasonable sense when compared to the two other restrictions which have been previously mentioned. Likewise, as a means of developing this idea to a further level, the remainder of this analysis will engage the reader with an understanding of why energy drink sales should be restricted. As one might suspect, one of the most important reasons for why society should demand that energy drink sales be restricted to individuals at or above the age of 18 years is with regards to the health dangers that they pose. More specifically, a variety of medical research with regards to the impacts that high caffeinated beverages and energy drinks have upon children and young adults have noted that there is a clear and definitive link between consumption of these beverages and increased evidence of heart palpitations, cardiac arrest, high blood pressure, obesity, and even death. Moreover, each and every one of the negative health consequences that can be definitively tied to the consumption of energy drinks and other highly caffeinated beverages are only made worse by a general lack of exercise and a diet high in fat and low in fiber content (Goh & Jacob, 2011). In such a way, the current reality and environments within which young adults engage is something of a double threat to health. What is meant by this is the fact that nearly all of the young adults who are freaking a high quantity of these highly caffeinated energy drinks engage in an otherwise the list article lifestyle that does not involve a proper level of exercise mixed with a well balanced diet. In such a way, researchers noted that such determinants exponentially increased the risk of organ failure and other unbelievably horrific health drawbacks. Those individuals who might resist such a restriction of age may very well point to the fact that a host of other substances are known to cause damage if ingested in the improper degree. This may well be true; however, when one considers the fact that the slippery slope argument can be used to restrict levels of sugar consumption, fat consumption, or other dietary constraints to the younger generation, the overall level of help detriment that can be affected through “overdosing” or “over engaging” in sugar or fatty foods cannot be compared to the short-term and extraordinarily harmful impacts that overindulgence in energy drinks can engage (Fernandez-Alvira et al, 2013). However, in addition to merely having a clear and definitive detrimental effect to organ function and overall health, recent research has also indicated that consumption of highly caffeinated beverages, to include energy drinks, has also been proven to have a direct correlation to the severity of anxiety disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders. As can be seen from a level of analysis and research into the past several decades, these particular disorders are evidenced in greater and greater numbers (Schneider & Benjamin, 2011). Although it is not the point of this analysis to draw a definitive link between highly caffeinated beverages/energy drinks and the existence and furtherance of attention deficit disorder and/or anxiety disorders within children, the correlation should not go unnoticed. Finally, with regards to the physiological function of the human body, research has also proven that imbibing two or more energy drinks in the course of a single day can disrupt the body’s natural process of calcium absorption into the bones (Van Lippevelde, 2013). In such a way, even though the other health concerns which have thus far been mentioned have been concentric upon mental/emotional health and the way in which energy drinks impact upon cardio health and/or organ function, it must be noted that the overall impacts that energy drinks can have upon the individual, especially the child, is multifaceted and vast. In addition to harmful health effects that energy drinks have upon children which have Artie been discussed, a key element and further impact is with regards to the way in which energy drinks disrupt the sleep cycle of individuals who ingest them. One does not need to have a great deal of knowledge with regards to childhood physiological and mental development to understand that an undisturbed level of at least nine hours of sleep is required each and every night for an adolescent to develop in a normal manner (Paccione-Dyszlewski, 2013). Whereas adults can easily get by with as little as six hours of sleep each and every night, the same cannot be said for children. Due to the fact that sleep is such a vital component of development, energy drinks have no place in a child’s life. In short, what has been presented thus far is merely what is currently known with regards to negative impacts that energy drinks have upon a child’s health. The fact of the matter is that energy drinks have not been widely consumed for a long enough period of time for the medical community, or society at large for that matter, to fully understand each and every nuance of the different ways in which they might negatively impact upon a child’s health. More importantly, it must be noted that from all of the studies which a been performed, no single benefit has been determined to be derived from drinking energy drinks (Cichocki, 2012). As such, with regards the overall health and safety concerns that have been reference, as well as the developmental concerns and levels of harm that energy drink consumption can affect upon a child, the obvious and clear determination that the reader/analyst must come to is that not only do these beverages hold no clear benefit to the health, development, or safety of the child, they have been demonstrably proven to be damaging. Once again, playing the devil’s advocate, the stakeholder within society may point to the fact that it is not the role of society, or the government for that matter, to restrict what individuals can and can’t eat, drink, or do. Although such a libertarian approach is laudable in many instances, it is nonetheless inappropriately applied with regards to situations such as our whole consumption, cigarette smoking, and, in the opinion of this author, energy drink consumption among children. In addition to the reasons which have been provided, it is the further understanding of this author that one of society’s most sacred roles is seeking to ensure a healthy and nurturing environment within which future generations can be welcomed. As a result of this responsibility, it would not only be foolish to not act upon the relevant information which is been provided by the medical community, it would also being highly unethical. As a means of drawing a clear and definitive line of demarcation with regards to where the responsibility of society must stop, it is the understanding of this student that harmful substances, regardless of whether legal or illegal, must not be made readily available to children within the society. Although one could also make the argument that the substances should be restricted from human consumption at all, this is not the approach that this author has engaged; rather, once the individual is old enough to make their own decisions and live on their own, from the societal standpoint, they should also therefore be responsible for those choices which directly impact upon their own health and the health and safety of others. References Cichocki, M. (2012). [Energy drinks and their contribution to current health concerns for children and adolescents]. Przegla?d Lekarski, 69(10), 854-860. Fernandez-Alvira, J. M., De Bourdeaudhuij, I., Singh, A. S., Vik, F. N., Manios, Y., Kovacs, E., & ... Moreno, L. A. (2013). Clustering of energy balance-related behaviors and parental education in European children: the ENERGY-project. International Journal Of Behavioral Nutrition & Physical Activity, 10(1), 5-14. doi:10.1186/1479-5868-10 Goh, D., & Jacob, A. (2011). Children's consumption of beverages in Singapore: Knowledge, attitudes and practice. Journal Of Paediatrics & Child Health, 47(7), 465-472. doi:10.1111/j.1440-1754.2010.01999.x Paccione-Dyszlewski, M. (2013). Guest Commentary. Energy drinks for children and adolescents: Cage the beast. Brown University Child & Adolescent Behavior Letter, 29(5), 8. Schneider, M., & Benjamin, H. J. (2011). Clinical Report--Sports Drinks and Energy Drinks for Children and Adolescents: Are They Appropriate?. Pediatrics, 127(6), 1182-1189. doi:10.1542/peds.2011-0965 Van Lippevelde, W., te Velde, S. J., Verloigne, M., De Bourdeaudhuij, I., Manios, Y., Bere, E., & ... Maes, L. (2013). Associations between home- and family-related factors and fruit juice and soft drink intake among 10- to 12-year old children. The ENERGY project. Appetite, 6159-65. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2012.10.019 Read More