WARNING: IT’S PRIME TIME FOR ENERGY DRINKS

A new energy drink has taken the market for such beverages by storm and have achieved a cult like status thanks in no small part to the fame of the beverage’s creators, YouTube stars Logan Paul and KSI, who together have over 40 million subscribers. The drink is branded Prime Energy and is a highly caffeinated beverage in brightly colored cans with flavors such as Ice Pop and Tropical Punch.


Now, some politicians and experts are raising serious concerns about whether or not the drink is safe for young people. No less a figure than Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) has said that Prime's website lacks warnings and other information to help parents understand the "eye-popping" caffeine content in its drinks. Schumer wants the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate the company, which he claims is "feverishly" targeting children. I checked the website, and the Senator is absolutely right. There are NO warnings or any other safety information about the high amount of caffeine in the drink (200 mg/12 oz.can) or any admonitions about restricting its use among children. This is a direct quote from the front page of their website:

"PRIME was developed to fill the void where great taste meets function. With bold, thirst-quenching flavors to help you refresh, replenish, and refuel, PRIME is the perfect boost for any endeavor. We're confident you'll love it as much as we do."


The rest of their website is filled with pictures and descriptions of their many flavored products, all colorfully illustrated, which Schumer believes is a deliberate ploy to attract children. In fairness to Prime, the back of each can contains the following safety message: "Drink responsibly. Not recommended for children under 18 years of age, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant women and women who are nursing." Schumer, however, doesn't believe this is an adequate warning because it fails to outright ban the product for anyone under 18.

The question for all of us should be: Is Prime safe for both children and adults? First of all, 200 milligrams of caffeine in a 12-ounce can is about 6 times the amount of caffeine in a comparable can of Coca-Cola. In addition to its high levels of caffeine, Prime also contains ingredients commonly found in other energy drinks (e.g., taurine, inositol, l-theanine and glucuronolactone). The company also makes a non-caffeinated beverage which Schumer believes parents could get mixed up with the caffeinated beverage because they both use similar brightly colored cans. As the following images indicate, I believe Schumer has a point. It might be challenging both for parents and children to tell the two beverages apart.

Canadian health authorities have also voiced concern that cans of Prime sold there may be exceeding regulations on limits for caffeine. How does Prime compare to other caffeinated beverages? Most energy drinks have less caffeine than Prime. Starbucks Cold Brew (11 oz.) has 155 mg, Monster Energy (12 oz.) has 123 mg, Red Bull (12 oz.) has 108 mg, Diet Coke (12 oz.) has 46.8 mg, Snapple Iced Peach Tea (16 oz.) has 37 mg. 

Is 200 mg a lot of caffeine? It depends on who you are and what your underlying health conditions may be. 200 mg of caffeine is roughly equivalent to drinking 2 cups of coffee a day, not unusual for most adults. Caffeine is a stimulant that is found naturally in plants and can affect our central nervous system that can boost our alertness and enhance our ability to concentrate.  However, pediatricians recommend that children under 12 avoid caffeine completely and kids 12 and older consume NO MORE THAN 100 mg/day. Many physicians recommend that adults should have no more than 400 mg/day, which is about 4-5 cups of coffee. According to the FDA, which doesn't require beverage companies to list the amount of caffeine on their products, rapid consumption of around 1200 mg of caffeine can lead to "toxic effects," such as seizures. Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others. It depends on the speed your body metabolizes the stimulant and whether you have a high tolerance level for caffeine after drinking coffee, etc. for years. Most doctors would advise people with high blood pressure or some other preexisting conditions to consider limiting their amount of caffeine. Too much caffeine can cause anxiety, agitation, sleeplessness, gastrointestinal problems and even cardiovascular symptoms.

The problem with energy drinks is that they are more likely to be consumed at a faster rate than either coffee or tea because they are chilled beverages and not served steaming hot. The CDC believes that the stimulants in energy drinks can cause dehydration, anxiety, insomnia and heart complications, including skipping beats, symptoms more likely to be felt by children or teenagers consuming the same amount of caffeine as an adult. If you take a high dose of caffeine to stay more awake, to stimulate your brain, such as done by students relying on energy drinks to help them stay awake to finish homework or write a paper, it will also affect your heart rate, blood pressure and your stomach's gastric secretions.

As the Warnings Doctor, my advice is for adults to limit their caffeine intake to no more than what is found in about 4 cups of coffee/day and for adults with high blood pressure or other pre-existing conditions, to consult their doctors before consuming any caffeine. It's always good advice for children under 12 to avoid any stimulants, including caffeine, and for those children 12-18, limit caffeine intake to no more than 100 mg/day, about the same amount as in 1 cup of coffee/day. As for Prime Energy, absolutely avoid this drink if you are under 18.


Check out my latest podcast "EXPOSED! An Exclusive Look Behind the Curtain of Corporate Greed"

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TEXAS HILL COUNTRY FLOODS: DID WARNINGS FAIL VICTIMS?

By Dr. Gerald Goldhaber • August 7, 2025
From July 3–4, 2025, Central Texas—especially Kerr County and the Guadalupe River basin—experienced catastrophic flash flooding that claimed over 130 lives, including children and staff at Camp Mystic. As grief and outrage settle, survivors and officials alike are questioning whether enough was done to warn those most at risk.

TEXAS LEADS THE NATION: WARNING LABELS ON ADDITIVES

By Dr. Gerald Goldhaber • July 9, 2025
On June 22, 2025, Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 25 (SB25), known as the Make Texas Healthy Again Act. Beginning January 1, 2027, Texas will require prominent on-pack warning labels whenever food sold in the state contains any of 44 specific additives—including synthetic colorants like Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1, titanium dioxide, bleached flour, and partially hydrogenated oils. The mandated label must declare the following:

WARNING: FDA DELAYS IMPLEMENTATION OF RULE THAT WOULD REQUIRE NEW NUTRITION LABELING

By Dr. Gerald Goldhaber • May 27, 2025
The FDA is delaying implementation of a rule that would require food companies to print nutritional information on the front labels of their products. The proposed rule was developed by President Biden’s Administration, with a comment period scheduled to close on May 16. The rule is designed to help consumers make better choices to avoid chronic health problems. Such problems—and consumer choices about nutrition—are things President Trump’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has repeatedly touted. Even though hundreds of comments have been filed about the proposed rule, Kennedy’s Food and Drug Administration is delaying the close of the comment period by 60 days. Most of the comments filed so far have come from food companies and food industry trade organizations. “ A 60-day comment period extension allows adequate time for interested parties to submit comments while also not significantly delaying rulemaking on the important issues in the proposed rule ,” according to the FDA’s announcement about the delay. 

WARNING: THE GENDER BIAS IN CAR SAFETY TESTING PRESENTS AN ONGOING DANGER

By Dr. Gerald Goldhaber • April 30, 2025
Car accidents are a leading cause of injury and death worldwide, yet the safety measures designed to protect occupants in these life-or-death situations have long ignored a critical reality: women are more likely to be severely injured or killed in crashes than men. This disparity isn't rooted in biology alone—it’s also a result of a troubling oversight in the automotive industry’s safety testing protocols. For decades, crash-test dummies, which serve as proxies for human passengers in simulated collisions, have been modeled after the average male physique, leaving women out of the equation entirely. The Alarming Data Gap The implications of this gender gap in safety testing are both staggering and infuriating. Women, on average, have different body compositions than men—they tend to be shorter, lighter, and have different muscle distributions and bone densities. These physiological differences mean that women’s bodies interact with car safety features—such as seat belts, airbags, and headrests—in distinct ways. When vehicles aren’t tested with dummies that accurately represent female anatomy, crucial data about how to better protect women in crashes is simply ignored. Studies have revealed the dire consequences of this exclusion. Research from the University of Virginia found that women are 47% more likely to sustain serious injuries in car accidents compared to men, even when accounting for variables like seatbelt usage and crash severity. Women are also significantly more likely to suffer whiplash injuries due to the positioning of headrests, which are often designed with men’s neck dimensions in mind. These statistics aren’t just numbers—they represent lives cut short, families broken, and untold suffering that could have been mitigated with equitable safety testing.

WARNING: ARE MUSK, KENNEDY, AND TRUMP IGNORING THE GRAVE CONSEQUENCES OF SLASHING PUBLIC HEALTH FUNDING?

By Dr. Gerald Goldhaber • April 14, 2025
Recent budget cuts at the Health and Safety Science Services (HSSS) have sent shockwaves through the scientific and public health communities, threatening the very infrastructure designed to protect us from disease outbreaks, food contamination, and medical crises. These cuts have affected food inspectors, vaccine scientists, Alzheimer’s researchers, and experts studying bird flu, among others—positions that are essential to ensuring public safety and advancing critical medical research. The consequences of these decisions will be dire, potentially reversing years of progress and exposing society to increased health risks.

WARNING: IS ELON MUSK'S DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY JEOPARDIZING AIR SAFETY?

By Dr. Gerald Goldhaber • March 12, 2025
As Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DGE) pushes for sweeping reforms and cost-cutting across federal agencies, concerns are mounting over the impact on critical public safety roles. Among the most alarming areas affected is the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), where staff reductions may threaten the lives of millions of air travelers. The DGE, established with a mandate to streamline government operations and reduce bureaucratic waste, has come under fire for its aggressive downsizing tactics. Critics warn that essential safety personnel, including air traffic controllers, are being cut under the guise of efficiency, leaving the nation's airspace dangerously understaffed.

WARNING: WILL TRUMP'S SURGEON GENERAL SUPPORT IMPROVED ALCOHOL WARNING LABELS?

By Dr. Gerald Goldhaber • February 11, 2025
Biden Administration former Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, on his way out of office, issued a Surgeon General's Advisory calling for new warnings on alcoholic beverages related to the cancer risk from consuming alcoholic beverages. Given that most individuals are unaware of the connection that consumption of alcoholic beverages can increase the risk for at least seven types of cancer, Murthy said in his advisory: "Given the conclusive evidence on the cancer risk from alcohol consumption and the Office of the Surgeon General's responsibility to inform the American public of the best available scientific evidence, the Surgeon General recommends an update to the Surgeon General's warning label for alcohol-containing beverages to include a cancer risk warning."

WARNING: TRUMP'S RE-ELECTION MEANS A DEREGULATORY NIGHTMARE FOR CONSUMERS

By Dr. Gerald Goldhaber • December 2, 2024
In my best-selling book, Murder, Inc.: How Unregulated Industry Kills or Injures Thousands of Americans Every Year...And What You Can Do About It , I propose a safety triad consisting of three components: manufacturers, regulators and consumers. All three must function properly in order to keep us safe. Manufacturers must produce and market safe (or safe as possible) products and warn us about any potential hazards so that we can make informed choices about whether or not to purchase their product and/or how to use it safely. Regulators , by imposing and implementing necessary rules and regulations, should hold manufacturers accountable for the above stated actions and to endure that they engage in "principled disclosure" by warning us about any potential hazards and dangers associated with their products. And, finally, Consumers , especially in the absence of well-meaning manufacturers or competent, well-intentioned regulators, must be highly diligent by researching products and learning about potential hazards prior to buying and/or using them. All three, manufacturers, regulators and consumers, must perform their jobs or the safety triad may fail to protect us and our loved ones. Think of a three-legged stool that distributes the weight of a person sitting on the stool, equally among the three legs. But what would happen if we leaned heavily to one side of the stool, essentially spreading the weight that was once borne by three legs to the two legs remaining braced to the floor. Unfortunately the third leg is no longer contributing to the stability of the stool, which may actually collapse because the two remaining legs may not be able to handle the amount of weight that was intended to be equally distributed among all three legs. 

WARNING: FDA RECOMMENDS REMOVING POPULAR DECONGESTANT FROM MARKET

By Dr. Gerald Goldhaber • November 15, 2024
If you or anyone in your family has used, uses or plans to use such over the counter (OTC) remedies for the flu or common cold as Theraflu, Robitussin, NyQuil, DayQuil, Mucinex, Sudafed or even some versions of Tylenol or Advil, you may want to read this newsletter very carefully.

WARNING: SOCIAL MEDIA IS ASSOCIATED WITH SIGNIFICANT MENTAL HEALTH HARMS FOR ADOLESCENTS

By Gerald Goldhaber • October 2, 2024
In an unprecedented, but, according to many social scientists and parents, a long overdue action, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, in a June editorial in the New York Times, called for a warning label to be placed on all social media platforms. In the words of the Surgeon General:
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