Agenzija Sedqa yesterday reiterated its stand against energy drinks and the ambiguous way some of them are advertised, usually targeting young people, in view of a recent Australian report which said that such drinks increase the likelihood of heart attacks and stroke.

Lead researcher Scott Willoughby, from the Cardiovascular Research Centre at the Royal Adelaide Hospital said that experiments showed that a particular brand of drink caused people’s blood to become “sticky”. Energy drinks are not to be confused with sports drinks that focus on sugar and salt replenishment.

Meanwhile, a spokesman from the company that produces the drink said: “The study does not show effects which would go beyond that of drinking a cup of coffee. Therefore, the reported results were to be expected and lie within the normal physiological range.”

Willoughby and his team tested the cardiovascular systems of 30 young adults one hour before and one hour after consuming one 250ml can of a particular sugar-free energy drink.

The drink is banned in Norway, Uruguay and Denmark. One can contains 80 mg of caffeine, around the same as a normal cup of brewed coffee.

Dr Willoughby said that consuming the drink could be deadly when combined with stress or high blood pressure, impairing proper blood vessel function and possibly lifting the risk of blood clotting.

“If you have any predisposition to cardiovascular disease, I’d think

twice about drinking it,” he said. Meanwhile another report issued some months back said that energy drinks were dangerous when mixed with alcohol as party goers do not feel the effects of being drunk as much – even though they are inebriated and not able to function properly.

The caffeine content in these drinks leads the consumer to drink more alcohol in one session, thus leading to excessive alcohol consumption, with all its consequences. “Thus we agree that energy drinks and their sale should be controlled and definitely not sold to young people under 16 years of age,” a Sedqa spokesman said.

Having countries such as France, Denmark and Norway banning the sale of an energy drink shows that the risks posed are not to be undermined and thus all negative effects should be carefully analysed, said Sedqa.

Furthermore, Agenzija Sedqa said that bottles/cans of these drinks should carry a warning, stating all health hazards.

“Energy drinks can lead to negative repercussions both when mixed with alcohol and even if not, especially if a person has particular medical conditions,” the spokesman said.