Who's Drinking them Energy Drinks?!?!

"FDA Expected to Ban Caffeinated Alcohol Drinks" was the headline I read. It's for an article on MSN's website, and you can read it here.

The comment itself didnt really shock or offend me. In fact, I read the article hoping to see a LIST of such drinks, but they only talked up one...a product called "Four Loko". (although they did mention Joose without really talking about them in any detail.)

If you do a little research, you'll see the names of colleges banning Four Loko due to the ill effects it had on students.

But what DID catch my eye was a quote in the article that says, "The drinks are regularly consumed by 31 percent of 12-to-17-year olds."

That means one out of every three twelve year old...and one out of every three 13 year old...drinks an alcohol and caffeine fueled energy drink.

Here is my question: Where Are the Parents?!
I was 12 once, and I have 12 year olds in my yard every weekend. I know what they do all day long...and I'd like to know why they need a beverage that has alcohol and caffeine in it.
Of COURSE a 12 year old is going to want to try one...and of COURSE if the marketing is good (and the can is cool) they are going to keep drinking them.

But where the hell is the parenting?!
Would you let your 13 year old smoke?
Would you let them drink a glass of wine?
Would you let them take pills that keep them 'up'?

Alcohol and Caffeine-laced energy drinks are NOT the same as juice or soda.
Hell, I know a LOT of parents that don't let their kids drink Soda.
To think that 1/3 of the nation's parents let their kids drink energy drinks is amazing.

Don't tell me that the kids run out to the store and the parents don't know.
I know for a FACT that 12 and 13 year olds leave their junk all over the place...including soda cans. (and a shout out to my neighbors who have NOT taught their kids to pick up after themselves! Thanks for all the extra trash...jerks!)

I'm not "capping" my rant at 13 years old.
14 and 15 year olds dont need to drink this stuff, either.
And at 17 you might just be working and buying whatever you want.

But 12 and 13 is very, very young.
Too young, I would think, to pollute a body with caffeine and alcohol.

Just my 2 cents.

and remember to visit Coke vs. Pepsi, where no page of the site was injected with Alcohol to create what you see there...

Pepsi can now distribute Rockstars

PepsiCo has signed a deal with Rockstar Inc., so it can distribute Rockstar Energy Drink.

Remember what happened the LAST time a Rock Star got involved with soda? I'm talking about Axl Rose's war-of-words with Dr. Pepper.

Rockstar has about 14% of the Energy Drink Market Share. Monster Energy Drink leads the pack with about 29% and Red Bull has about 25%. (Some former Pepsi and Red Bull employees have gone to work for the little "Purple" beverage company. They have never been heard from since...)

Back in the Fall, Coca Cola appeared to be speaking with Hansen Natural, looking to distribute the monster-sized Monster...but it does not look like that evolved.

But what does this say about Pepsi's EXISTING energy beverage efforts?
Pepsi owns and distributes Amp Energy Drink...but Amp does not appear in the Top 5. Is Pepsi admitting that they are better served buying into a winner rather than cultivating their own?