Ed Burke Proposes Banning Energy Drinks

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Jan 18, 2013 3:25PM

We can always count on City Council to act as our nannies, especially when we don't need them to be. On Thursday Ald. Ed Burke (14th) proposed an outright ban on caffeinated energy drinks like Red Bull and Monster Energy. This must be putting chills in the spines of Jaeger Bomb fans across Chicago.

Burke's proposal takes a proposed ban on energy drinks proposed last month by Ald. George Cardenas (12th) a step further. Cardenas, chairman of the City Council Health Committee, suggested banning the sale of energy drinks to residents under the age of 21 because of the possible health risks related to over-consumption and a string of deaths across the country linked to energy drinks. Cardenas told the Sun-Times he wasn't that interested in a ban and wanted to rattle the cages of energy drink manufacturers and was surprised Burke not only agreed with him, but offered a nuclear option.

“We started with a big, broad ordinance that could bring everybody to the table and have good results. That was the aim. My aim was not to ban anything, but to accomplish the goal of not having teens or kids die from lack of education about these drinks that could harm them.”

Under Burke's proposal, fines ranging from $100-$500 for violators who "sell, give away, barter, exchange or otherwise furnish any energy drink.” Businesses caught repeatedly selling energy drinks would risk losing their business licenses. It defines an energy drink as “a canned or bottled beverage which contains an amount of caffeine exceeding or equal to 180 milligrams-per-container and containing Taurine or Guarana.” So we know at least that Burke or someone on his staff can read the nutritional information on a can of Red Bull. But the language defining what constitutes an energy drink allows for certain energy drinks—like a standard can of Red Bull—to still be sold in Chicago. Drinks like Extra Strength 5-Hour Energy would not make the cut.

This isn't the first time Burke has decided to throw his weight behind a beverage ban. He and former Ald. Gene Schulter proposed a ban on caffeinated alcoholic beverages like Four Loko in 2010. Burke in 2006 also proposed a series of watered down bans on trans fats in restaurants.