Kentucky State Representative, Danny Ford introduced a bill on Jan. 25 to prohibit the sale of any carbonated beverage that exceeds a caffeine content of 71 mg per 12 oz and contains taurine and glucuronolactone to anyone under 18 years of age. The bill, HB374, would require an ID check wherever energy drinks are sold. Ford said he introduced the bill after a contest called, “It Ought To Be A Law”. The submission that moved him was the story of a student who purchased an energy drink on the way to school and said his “heart started beating rapidly”.
I suspect this is the beginning of a very strong conversation about the appropriateness of allowing and encouraging young people to fill their bodies with caffeine and chemicals.
