JEDDAH: ARAB NEWS Published — Friday 21 March 2014 arabnews/news/543591 A 46-year-old Bangladeshi national has become the second person to die from consuming an energy drink, local media reported Thursday. A Saudi citizen died three months ago after drinking a large quantity of this type of beverage. The Bangladeshi man went to a local hospital in Madinah suffering from an elevated heart rate and shortness of breath, according to a source. Doctors there discovered that he had consumed an energy drink. He died during treatment. Col. Fahd Al-Ghanam, spokesman of the Madinah police, told journalists the man died after drinking an energy drink, and the case was referred to the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution. Rashoud Abdullah Al-Shaqrawi, nutritionist and vice president of the Consumer Protection Association, said manufacturers are guilty of fraud because they label these beverages as energy drinks. He said these drinks contain high levels of caffeine that can be harmful to the body in large quantities. International health organizations have warned the public against consuming such drinks particularly young people under the age of 16, pregnant women and those with heart conditions and diabetes. Al-Shaqrawi praised the Council of Ministers for passing legislation two weeks ago to control the consumption of energy drinks. There are numerous harmful effects of such drinks, and some countries have banned them outright, he said. The Council of Ministers banned the sale of energy drinks at all government, education and health facilities, with a further prohibition on companies advertising these products, and sponsoring social, cultural and sports events. The government also wants energy drink companies to have warning labels in Arabic and English on their products outlining their harmful effects. The regulations follow an Interior Ministry study. The ban includes the sale of these products at public and private sports clubs and gyms, and covers consumers of all age groups. The advertising and promotional ban covers print, audio and visual media.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Mar 2014 10:51:45 +0000
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