Energy Drinks Compared to Drugs
Russian Federal Drug Control Service said it will initiate the ban on delivery and sale of energy drinks if it proves their harm to the health. In Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, they hope the threat won’t materialize but get ready for large-scale probes.
“Energy drinks are the drugs in their own way. They contain psychotropic substances that, according to our experts, cause euphoria, gaiety, activity and lead to organism destruction,” Vladimir Zubrin, deputy chief at Federal Drug Control Service, said May 18 when addressing the “Honor, Valor, Dignity” meeting arranged by his service in tandem with social protection department of Moscow Central Administrative District.
In Federal Drug Control Service, they declined to clarify Friday whether Zubrin had meant some definite brands and producers or all drinks of the category.
But the extent of energy drink effect on humans is yet unclear. “The investigation is underway,” said Vladimir Nuzhny, chief of the Toxicology Laboratory at Russia’s Federal Agency for Public Health and Social Development. “One thing is clear: it isn’t safe,” he emphasized.
The capacity of Russia’s market of energy drinks is roughly 9 million liters to 10 million liters, or between $30 million and $32 million in terms of money. Such drinks account for 3 percent to 4 percent of low-alcohol cocktails and less than 1 percent of all market of nonalcoholic beverages. Core market players are PepsiCo (Adrenalin Rush; 38 percent), Red Bull (32 percent), Coca-Cola (Burn; 14 percent), Happyland (Red Devil; 8 percent). The market share of Moscow is roughly 60 percent.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of May 21, 2007
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