France and Denmark have banned Red Bull, but 32 million cans were sold here last year

Colette Keane writes the debate on the controversial but phenomenally successful drink looks lightly to continue.

ALMOST 88,000 cans of energy drink Red Bull are sold here every day, despite the product causing health fears almost since the moment it arrived on the Irish market in 1996.

Red Bull sales have climbed by 33% from 24 million in 2001 to 32 million last year despite negative publicity about the product during that time.

In 2000, an inquest called for more research to be carried on the effect of Red Bull after 18-year-old Limerick student Ross Cooney died of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome on a basketball court. Mr Cooney was seen drinking between one and three cans of Red Bull before he collapsed on the court.

In early 2001 scientists at St James’ Hospital in Dublin found that Red Bull could affect blood flow and in 2002, Safefood, the Food Safety Promotion Board, called for clear warnings to be placed on Red Bull and other stimulant drinks about the dangers of using the products as a mixer with alcohol.

The Board also wanted labelling to indicate that stimulant drinks were unsuitable for children under the age of 16, pregnant women and people sensitive to caffeine. It also wanted the stimulant drink manufacturers to halt the promotion of these products through sports.

Safefood has reiterated this call following a decision by the European Court of Justice to uphold a French ban on the high-caffeine drink.

France banned it as the product exceeded its laws on maximum allowable caffeine levels. The European Commission challenged the ban on the grounds it was inhibiting imports.

The Department of Health has requested the details of the ruling upholding the ban. A spokesperson for the department said it would review the judgement and to see if “anything needs to be addressed here” on the matter.

Director of Science at Safefood Dr Thomas Quigley said there was no reason to ban Red Bull, but there should be better labelling about who was unsuitable to drink it. He also said the promotion of the product through sports should not be allowed.

“These are drinks with a high caffeine content and caffeine dehydrates you. To describe it as an energy drink is, I believe, misleading, because sugar gives you energy and caffeine stimulates your nervous system to give you a quick feel buzz. It causes a cognitive response rather than a physiological response that sugar provides. If you are taking part in sport you need to be rehydrated and these drinks do not do that,” Dr Quigley said.

He was also hopeful that during Ireland’s presidency of the EU, the country would drive a proposal to regulate vitamins, minerals and stimulant drinks so that the types and amounts of various compounds would be controlled and labelled allowing consumers to choose once they know exactly what is in a product.

Red Bull Ireland communications manager Killian Burns said that Red Bull already carried warnings that children, diabetics and people who were sensitive to caffeine should avoid the product.

“Red Bull carries warnings about who should not drink this product. And we already adhere to a European Commission directive (not due in until July) that all drinks with a caffeine content greater than 150mg per litre must be labelled as having a high caffeine content,” Mr Burns said.

He said that despite all the negative publicity, the drink has never been found to have a harmful effect. “Consumers can decide for themselves,” he said.