I WILL HAVE THE
HIS HEART STARTED RACING
AFTER HE DRANK A FEW ENERGY
DRINKS.
HE THOUGHT HE WAS HAVING A
HEART ATTACKS.
OTHER INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN
REPORTED TO THE FDA.
ARE ENERGY DRINKS DANGEROUS FOR
SOME PEOPLE?
DAVE SAVINI INVESTIGATES.
I'M TERRIFIED THE.
MY CHILDREN ARE WITH ME.
THEY ARE CRYING.
Reporter: TO KEEP UP WITH
HIS FAST-PACED LIFE, HE HAD
STARTED CONSUMING ENERGY
DRINKS.
HE WOULD DRINK A CAN AND RUN A
FEW MILES EVERY MORNING BEFORE
WORK.
I THOUGHT IT WOULD GIVE ME A
LITTLE EXTRA PICK-UP.
Reporter: AND A FEW MORE
CANS THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
I STARTED GETTING REALLY
HOT.
I STARTED ALMOST BLACKING OUT.
AT THAT MOMENT, YOU THOUGHT
YOU WERE HAVING A HEART ATTACK?
HOW FAST WAS YOUR HEART
BEATING?
THEY TOLD ME CLOSE TO 200
BEATS A MINUTE.
THERE ARE 107 REPORTS TO
ADVERSE REACTIONS NATIONWIDE IN
THE LAST 22 1/2 YEARS AND 44
HEART PROBLEMS, AND NINE
DEATHS.
MOST GO UNREPORTED.
SOME ENERGY DRINKS ARE HIGHLY
CAFFEINATED.
THIS CAN OF ROCK STAR HAS 240
MILLIGRAMS OF CAFFEINE.
DRINK TWO OF THEM, AND ARE YOU
WELL OVER THE RECOMMENDED 4400
MILLIGRAMS FOR -- 400-
MILLIGRAMS FOR AN ENTIRE DAY.
THIS CAN HAS 300 MILLIGRAMS.
WHAT WE SAID TO THE FOOD AND
DRUG ADMINISTRATION, GIVE US
SOME STANDARDS TO LIVE BY.
IF THIS IS PUMPING IN HIGH
VOLUMES OF CAFFEINE THAT COULD
THREATEN SOMEONE'S HEALTH OR
LIFE, WE SHOULD KNOW IT.
Reporter: SENATOR DICK
DURBIN WANTS MORE RESTRICTIONS
ON MARKETING.
WE DON'T WANT KIDS TO HAVE
THEIR HEALTH ENDANGERED OR 0
LOSE THEIR LIVES OVER THE
ENERGY DRINKS.
THEY WANT TO LOOK AT HOW THE
CHEMICALS AND CAFFEINE REACT.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN AN ENERGY DRINK AND
CAFFEINE ALONE.
AN AIR FORCE STUDY SHOWED
THAT THE DRINKS RAISED BLOOD
PRESSURE.
AND STAYED UP FOUR HOURS IN THE
CAFFEINE DRINK COMPARED TO SIX
HOURS IN THE ENERGY DRINK.
CHRONIC INCREASES, HIGHER
RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE.
HIGHER RISK FOR DEVELOPING
KIDNEY DAMAGE.
YOU THINK THERE SHOULD BE
SOME REGULATIONS.
I DO.
LOYOLA CARDIOLOGIST DR.
PETER SANTUKI SAYS CHILDREN AND
PEOPLE WITH HEART PROBLEMS ARE
WITH GREATEST RISK AND BETTER
LABELING IS A MUST.
DO WE KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT HOW
THE INGREDIENTS WORK TOGETHER?
I DON'T THINK WE KNOW
ENOUGH.
I THINK THIS IS VERY LIMITED
INFORMATION AND I THINK THAT IS
A CONCERN SOMETIMES.
I DON'T THINK A LOT OF
PEOPLE REALIZE HOW BAD THESE
ARE.
DURBIN AND TWO OTHER
SENATORS HAVE WRITTEN THE FDA,
ASKING FOR STANDARDS, WARNINGS,
AND STUDIES INTO THEIR IMPACT
ON KIDS.
WE CONTACTED THE AMERICAN
BEVERAGE ASSOCIATION, WHICH
REPRESENTS 90% OF ENERGY DRINK
MAKERS, AND THAT GROUP TOLD US
QUOTE, THE SAFETY OF ENERGY
DRINKS HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED BY
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AS WELL AS
REGULATORY AGENCIES AROUND THE
GLOBE.
STILL WAITING TO SEE IF THE
