Friday, September 30, 2011

Beware the consumer police

Let individuals decide for themselves what they want to eat and drink

Thursday, September 29, 2011 08:07 PM EDT
Updated: Thursday, September 29, 2011 08:09 PM EDT

Part of the joy of watching the Super Bowl is getting to see all those whiz-bang, big-budget ads.



The best spot to air during last year’s Super Bowl was surely the “Green Police” advertisement for the Audi A3 — equal parts hilarious and horrific.

Set to the tune of Cheap Trick’s 1979 hit, Dream Police, the Green Police spot depicts an Orwellian near-future in which a legion of environmental cops, many of whom wear shorts and get around on geeky Segways, frequently intrude upon the personal lives of the citizenry.

They spy, sift through trash, and set up dragnets looking for environmental misbehaviour.

Thus, a supermarket customer is handcuffed for requesting a plastic bag; a homeowner is apprehended for “possession of an incandescent light bulb.”

The scenarios are funny but the Green Police spot also serves as a cautionary tale of how the ever-intrusive Nanny State can make our lives miserable — ostensibly for our own good.

I was thinking of that ad upon hearing Health Canada is actually looking at regulating the sale of energy drinks such as Red Bull and Monster.

According to recent reports, an “expert panel” has recommended the federal health minister consider reclassifying caffeine-laden, heavily-sugared energy drinks.

The panel wants them classified as “stimulant drug containing drinks” and wants them yanked from the shelves of variety stores and supermarkets. The panel suggests they should be sold under the supervision of a pharmacist.

(Evidently, there’s been 61 incidents of ill effects due to energy drinks; Health Canada classifying 32 as “serious.”)

As you might imagine, the makers of energy drinks are frothing at the mouth.

The Canadian Beverage Association asserts the expert panel’s recommendations are “completely unsubstantiated in science and their conclusions are unreasonable.” It says they are based on flawed assessments and assumptions and the recommendations run counter to how energy drinks are regulated in 160 countries.

It also notes energy drinks contain, on average, half the caffeine found in a regular cup of filtered drip coffee.

“Health authorities and numerous scientific expert panels in various jurisdictions, including the E.U., Australia, and New Zealand, have assessed energy drinks and their ingredients and have concluded that they are safe,” argues the CBA.

That said, not all beverage makers are crying foul.

Frank D’Angelo, CEO of D’Angelo Brands, says he doesn’t have a problem with the proposed regulations. D’Angelo notes his energy drink, Cheetah, wouldn’t be affected because it’s caffeine-free.

“It’s not normal to market drinks to kids that are full of caffeine,” he said, noting if the proposed regulations go through as is, “Cheetah could be the last energy drink standing” at the supermarket.

Still, the idea of the government restricting the sale of these beverages smacks of the slippery slope.

After all, why stop at energy drinks? Cheese can be artery-clogging — will cheddar soon be sold by the local pharmacist?

Governments already over-regulate the distribution and sale of alcohol. Do we really want Ottawa doing likewise when it comes to non-alcoholic beverages?

Besides, consumers already have a choice.

If someone craves caffeine, let him freely buy a Rockstar.

If he wants a caffeine-free boost, he can try Cheetah.

How’s this for an idea: Let individuals decide for themselves what they want to eat and drink.

What a concept!

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