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Michigan State Senator Michael Switalski, D-Roseville, recently introduced the Children’s Health Initiative, a swath of state bills that targets different aspects of children’s health. It seeks to improve nutrition in schools by nixing tax incentives for unhealthy food sold in vending machines and implementing labels with the amounts of caffeine in certain beverages, according to The Jackson Citizen Patriot in Jackson, Mich.
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Editor’s Insight: This is one of the most comprehensive school health initiatives ever proposed. This legislator has examined every aspect of kids’ health, including steroid testing.
The proposal requires energy drinks to have labels indicating the amount of caffeine they contain. This legislator notes that energy drinks are marketed specifically to young people while serious questions remain about the products’ health effects.
VendingMarketWatch carried a news item yesterday about a Northwestern University study on caffeine abuse related to energy drinks. This issue is bound to gain more attention, and the refreshment services industry needs to address it. 02-24-09 by Elliot Maras
