The FDA is being asked to look into Logan Paul’s energy drink, which has the caffeine from 6 Coke cans
JAKE OFFENHARTZ, Associated Press
7 minutes ago
FILE – A child has a PRIME hydration drink before a baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks, March 31, 2023, in Los Angeles. A flu-backed energy drink that has gained viral popularity among children is facing scrutiny from federal lawmakers and health experts over potentially dangerous levels of caffeine. On Sunday, July 9, 2023, Senator Chuck Schumer asked the Food and Drug Administration to investigate Prime. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — A flu-backed energy drink that has gained viral popularity among children is facing scrutiny from lawmakers and health experts over potentially dangerous levels of caffeine.
On Sunday, Sen. Charles Schumer asked the Food and Drug Administration to investigate PRIME, a beverage brand founded by YouTube stars Logan Paul and KSI that has become something of an obsession among the influencer’s legions of young followers.
“One of the summer’s hottest status symbols for kids isn’t an outfit or a toy — it’s a beverage,” said Schumer, a Democrat from New York. “But buyer and parent beware because it is a serious health issue for the children it is so frantically targeting.”
Backed by two of YouTube’s most famous stars, PRIME was an instant sensation when it launched last year, prompting long lines at grocery stores and reports of schoolyard resale markets.
Advertising themselves as zero sugar and vegan, the neon-colored cans are among a growing number of energy drinks with elevated levels of caffeine; in PRIME’s case, 200 milligrams per 12 ounces, the equivalent of half a dozen Coke cans or nearly two Red Bulls.
The high content led to bans from some schools in the UK and Australia, where some pediatricians warned of possible health effects on young children such as heart problems, anxiety and digestive problems.
Company representatives, meanwhile, have defended the product, which is clearly labeled “not recommended for children under 18.” They sell a separate sports drink, known as PRIME Hydration, which contains no caffeine at all. Representatives for PRIME did not immediately return a request for comment.
But in her letter to the FDA, Schumer claimed there was little discernible difference in the marketing of the two drinks online — leading many parents to believe they were buying a juice for their kids, only to end up with a “pot of caffeine”.
“A simple social media search for Prime will generate an eye-popping amount of sponsored content, which is advertising,” he wrote. “This content and the claims made should be investigated, along with the ingredients and caffeine content of the Prime energy drink.”
