IN a recent survey the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC) has found that the so-called energy drinks are causing serious damage to health in the country. After testing the quantity of harmful elements in the energy drinks the DNC report has identified 42 types of energy drinks which contain alcoholic and sex-stimulating ingredients exposing consumers to serious health risks. For instance, while 145 milligrams of caffeine’s use is permissible excessive caffeine was found in the samples of 31 out of 42 tested drinks. 21 drinks have excessive amount of sex stimulants while eight others have excessive alcoholic elements. These drinks are being sold in markets across the country. After getting the DNC report the Home Ministry has asked the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institute (BSTI) and the Directorate General of Drug Administration to submit a report with proposals for steps against the companies responsible for marketing the harmful drinks. It should be mentioned that the harmful drinks were being marketed using the seals of these two government organizations. The New Nation report has mentioned the names of those hazardous drinks.
The news regarding the harmful energy drinks is undoubtedly worrying as the young people including the students are the main consumers of the drinks. In fact, the young generation has become obsessed with these drinks and since the drinks are being sold in the open market with permission of the government they do not think even for once about the possible harm which could occur before drinking those drinks. The same is true about the other consumers also. One can naturally ask, how the BSTI and the Directorate of Drug Administration could allow those companies to manufacture and sell the drinks with excessive caffeine, alcoholic and sex-stimulating elements? Should one be blamed if he raises the question of ‘give and take’ between the companies and people responsible on the government’s part? Instead of going to any such significant questions we think it our responsibility to protest against those companies’ destructive attitude and activities. They are simply playing with the nation and making money in the name of business and profit.
The identified brands of drinks must be banned immediately and those companies should be fined heavily and given exemplary punishments so that no other company can even think to go for any harmful product marketing in the future. The responsible government officials should also be punished. In short it should be made clear to all that life in Bangladesh has not yet become very cheap and the nation would go to any extent to save its present and future generations.
