Pumped up on the Playground: Swiss schools may ban energy drinks

Swiss solons see energy drinks as a threat to student's health and welfare.  Apparently Swiss youngsters are hyperventilating in school...and it's not the teachers causing the problems.

Fearing strung out students and disorder in the classroom, certain schools in Switzerland have placed restrictions or outright prohibitions on energy drinks.Now Toni Bortoluzzi, a politician on parliament's social security and health committee, has called on authorities around the country to ban the fizzy drinks.

"Stimulating beverages should be banned in all schools, even vocational schools," he told the Sonntag newspaper. "There must be no more hyperventilating pupils in classrooms."The Swiss People's Party parliamentarian has likened energy drinks to a quasi-drug.

"Smoking pot is also not tolerated," he argued, but said he did not intend to take up the matter in parliament. Instead he urged school authorities, municipalities and cantons to intervene.  Bortoluzzi has received the support of the Swiss Federation of Cantonal Chemists, a body responsible for food safety."This goes in the direction of doping," the group's president, Peter Grütter, said of the beverages, which can include caffeine, ginseng, ginkgo bilboa and sugar.

(Original article here)

Interesting that Tom Hildebrandt at Mt. Sinai presents data that there are pathways to steroids use, some of which may be health supplements.  More:

Caffeine

One can of Red Bull, the world's most popular brand, contains about as much caffeine as a cup of coffee and youngsters are having problems moderating themselves, says a school headmaster from Gerzensee, in canton Bern.

"Some students come with packs of ten Red Bulls and drink two or three right there," he said. Energy drinks are banned there, and in the town of Neuendorf, south of Basel

Did Marion Jones start her long slide into doping with Red Bull?

Comments

[Millard Baker]

Red Bull, the world's most popular brand, contains about as much caffeine as a cup of coffee

I guess we should add coffee as a pathway to steroid sue as well?

Maybe we should even be weary of kids going to Starbucks nowadays?!

[Millard Baker]

On a serious note, I was hoping to see you blog more about your presentation at the AACAP symposium (along with your review of other speakers and lecturers discussing AAS use).

[Steroid Nation]

As a serious Red Bull user, I can say that caffeine does not lead to steroid use. It does lead to severe bank account damage. About 6.00 a day damage...