Radio Broadcast on Energy Drinks
Radio Broadcast
Radio Broadcast on Energy Drinks
Scott: Good morning Volunteer State! This is Scott, and you’re listening to the number one radio station
in Tennessee. Today I’m here with the author of a very interesting article on
energy drinks, Barry Meier. How are you doing, man?
Barry: I couldn't be any better, my man.
Scott: So we brought you here today to talk about one of
your interesting articles on energy drinks. They are a major health risk, huh?
I mean, I really had no idea.
Barry: They are definitely a major problem. In years past, energy
drinks hasn't been that big of a deal, but the more research I do, the scarier
it gets. In today’s world a new invention on the market called “Mio”, which basically
is just a pocket-size squeezer bottle of caffeine. Is that not ridiculous?
Scott: Does Mio have
the same effect that regular sized energy drinks have?
Barry: Oh, most definitely!
Actually, each half-teaspoon of Mio releases 60 milligrams of caffeine in just
one beverage. That’s equivalent to the amount of a six-ounce cup of coffee.
Scott: Wow, that’s pretty
shocking.
Barry: Yes, it is, and most
people have no idea. One bottle contains 18 servings, which is 1,060 milligrams
of caffeine. Health specialists say that that is more than enough to make
children and some adults sick at their stomach and some adults and possibly
send some to the hospital. That’s what is most shocking to me.
Scott: Why are we still selling these types of products if
there is such a major health risk when using them?
Barry: To be honest, I have no idea why these types of
drinks are still on the market. Several countries are trying to increase tax on
energy drinks like Mexico, France, and India, to try and discourage their use.
Also, other countries are reining in sales of energy drinks. Countries are
trying to point to the risks of excessive caffeine consumption teenagers and
even some adults have.
Scott: What about the United States? Are we doing anything
to try and discourage the use of these types of drinks?
Barry: Actually, yes. Consumption
of energy drinks is soaring more and more each day, and the US. Congress has
called a review for the industry. Attorneys are investigating the practices of
several producers.
Scott: And?
Barry: Unfortunately, the FDA allowed the drinks to remain
in a regulatory grey area. This means the Company does not have to disclose how
much caffeine their products contain.
Scott: So, I guess we’ll never know?
Barry: I guess we won’t, unless someone comes clean. FDA
officials say that they don’t have enough evidence to act on caffeine levels in
the energy drinks, but they still continue to study the issue.
Scott: We have a very special caller on the phone lines, Dr.
Bruce A. Goldberger, a well-known toxicologist at the University of Florida in
Gainesville! How are you doing Dr. Goldberger?
Dr. Goldberger: I’m doing great, Scott, thanks!
Scott: Great to hear! So I think we all are dying to know
what your opinion is on this matter.
Dr. Goldberger: “Well, to be
honest I think energy drink companies approach has been laissez-faire, which means
the government should exclude them as much as possible. “What is it going to
take to cause for energy drink companies to take action?” That’s really all I
have to say on the matter.
Scott: Do you think the energy drink companies will ever
stop selling these energy drinks to our youth?
Dr. Goldberger: The energy drinks sales have been skyrocketing,
even though they have been a health risk for many years.
Scott: Well, I know you are a
very busy man Dr. Goldberger, but thank you so much for your time.
Dr. Goldberger: My pleasure, any time!
Scott: Do you feel the same way, Barry?
Barry: Yes, of course! It’s just disturbing to me how adults
can keep selling energy drinks that they know are harmful to our youth and to
some adults. However, with that being said, agency officials may face more
pressure to regulate the products after Monday.
Scott: Why is that?
Barry: There is a disclosure that has been brought up in a meeting
about the five deaths since 2009 that could be linked to the Monster Energy
drink, a top seller.
Scott: Wow, I really had no idea how dangerous these drinks
could be.
Barry: And the fatalities are raising bigger questions about
whether or not companies monitor the deaths or injuries caused by energy
drinks. A spokeswoman for Monster said that they were unaware of four or five
deaths reported to the FDA, even though these deaths were part of the database.
Scott: If my product killed even just one person, I would
feel terrible.
Barry: The Monster drink killed a teen from Maryland from a
heart arrhythmia. The teen only had two large cans of Monster Energy in 24
hours. After the death of the teen from the monster drink, Canadian rules
banned the big 24-ounce size of Monster. It contains 240 milligrams of
caffeine; that is 60 milligrams more than the limit set by the new standards.
Scott: That’s unreal. I've done a little researching myself
and here it says that the annual number of emergency room visits in the United
States linked to energy drinks rose to over 12,000 in 2009, which is the latest
year in which data is available. Also, the overall sales of energy drinks in
the United States grew an estimated 16 percent last year to 8.9 billion, a
record level. I mean this is really scary.
Barry: Yes, it is very scary, especially for our younger
generation since they are the main ones that drink the energy drinks.
Scott: I've learned a lot today. I know one thing is for
sure, after this interview I will never drink energy drink again. Thanks so
much for your time Mr. Barry Meier!
Barry: Oh, thank you so much for having me!
Works
Cited
The New York Times, 23 Oct. 2012. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
No comments:
Post a Comment