In the aftermath of the adoption of the Red Bull tax, the mother of a young girl who suffered cardiac arrest after consuming the drink demanded that it be banned from the market.
Kimberley was 16 when she died of cardiac arrest. She was then in a nightclub in Clisson (Loire-Atlantique) and she consumed a cocktail mixing alcohol and Red Bull. His mother testifies this October 25 in Ocean Press. The day after the vote on the tax on energy drinks in the National Assembly, this testimony revives already hot embers.
Can we ban Red Bull?
Kimberley’s mother is calling for a ban on marketing the drink that allegedly killed her daughter. The ban prevailed for 13 years, until 2008. On that date, the French Food Safety Agency (AFSSA, now ANSES) issued four negative opinions. They all report “worrying elements” around Red Bull, including its taurine content. The state therefore refuses to authorize the marketing of the drink before receiving a European opinion.
The Red Bull company reacts violently: it is dragging the case to court and demanding 300 million euros in compensation. Faced with this sum, the Ministry of Finance recovers the file. After tough negotiations, Bercy ended up bending down and authorizing a lighter version of Red Bull.
Kimberley’s death is a tragic but rare event that has launched a series of inquiries from theHealth security agency (Handles) around energy drinks. In a recent report, she considers “very likely” that the death of the girl is due to the consumption of Red Bull with alcohol.
Tax and negative report
ANSES concludes that energy drinks represent a danger to health… which leads a deputy to propose an amendment to the Social Security financing bill (PLFSS 2014). Gérald Bapt, deputy PS, wants to tax energy drinks up to one euro per liter. The National Assembly followed it on October 24 and adopted the amendment. The proposal will still have to go through the Senate and the Constitutional Council to be adopted. And if a ban remains unlikely, this tax could well pass.
In early October, ANSES submitted a report on energy drinks. It is this work that served as the basis for this bill. The risks that these drinks represent for the health of sensitive consumers are underlined. The analysis is based on 212 reported cases of problems with the consumption of a drink with caffeine and taurine. The symptoms are manifested by cardiovascular disorders (from oppression to cardiac arrest), psycho-behavioral and neurological disorders (mood disorders, epilepsy or hallucinations).
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