US Senator Calls for Investigation Into 'Prime Energy' Drink

Facts

• US Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Sunday called on the Food and Drug Admin. (FDA) to investigate Prime — an energy drink founded by YouTube celebrities Logan Paul and KSI — over its potentially dangerous levels of caffeine.¹
• Prime, which has become a sensation among the influencers' young fans, is advertised as vegan and with zero sugar, however, it does contain 200mg of caffeine per 12 oz — equivalent to about six Coke cans or two Red Bulls.²
• While Prime says it clearly labels its canned 18+ energy drink differently from its non-caffeinated, bottled sports drink, Schumer accused them of packaging and branding both products "in near identical form." He alleged parents are unwittingly purchasing a "cauldron of caffeine" for their children.³
• The brand, which launched last year and even caused "reports of schoolyard resale markets," said it welcomes "discussions with the FDA" and that the energy drink "contains a comparable amount of caffeine to other top-selling energy drinks, all falling within the legal limit of the countries it’s sold in."⁴
• The energy drink has reportedly already been banned in some schools across the US, UK, and Australia, with some citing the potential dangers to children for drinks containing such high levels of caffeine.³
• Schumer noted the immense following Paul and KSI have, 48M total YouTube subscribers and 11.5M and 17.7M TikTok followers, respectively, and the reach of their branding. Excess caffeine can cause issues like anxiety, sleep disturbances, and both high blood pressure and heart rate in children.³

Sources: ¹Guardian, ²CBS, ³Forbes, and ⁴The Hill.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Archive. The Prime Energy drink is banned in Australia due to its dangerously high caffeine levels, but third-party sellers use workarounds to sell these products to children. Given the viral popularity of the beverage among impressionable young people, the FDA needs to give this product a close review.
• Narrative B, as provided by Comicbook. While some may not like it, Prime specifically differentiates its energy drink, which is in a can, from its hydration product, which is in a bottle. It also clearly labels its caffeinated product as not safe for those under 18 and abides by every other regulation imposed by the FDA. This product carefully follows set rules.