That was on the city level and is absurd. With that said, you might want to change the title of your thread. See, if you believe in democracy as a form of government then you believe in liberalism. There are varying degrees, but a democracy is a liberal form of government -- where the rights and liberties of the individual are free to be expressed. The trick is and always has been balancing the the liberty of one individual with the liberty of others. That said, what might come out of this is the FDA looking into it more; 18 deaths in a year will spur someone to look at it. Just because two senators say something does not mean it will come to pass. Where was this righteous indignation when a much larger group in congress signed a letter earlier this year that went all McCarthy but this time talking about how the State Department and other areas of our government were being overrun with muslims? Read what the House and Senate do on a daily basis, especially the House, and you will see a lot of time given to things that go nowhere and do nothing.
With all that, this is part of a bigger regulatory issue that has been around for years. The FDA does not have jursdiction over any vitamin or herbal supplements which has led to scary things finding their way into people, usually things the manufacturer didn't share. Example: testosterone. You can get the very expensive description and be beholden to little things like medical research and drug labeling that keep people from killing themselves and causing massive hormonal imbalances in everyone that might come into contact with them or buy over the counter supplements that claim equal efficacy. They might contain testosterone or they might not. One way leads to massive medical issues the other leads to expensive urine. Just one example; supplements and drinks that are unregulated can make any claim they want and drop anything they want inside. Should they have to verify the claims of their ingredients and have to discuss the medical issues that might come of them? This is a large and ongoing issue, and energy drinks are just next up in that line. One official saying something does not make it happen, and they called for the FDA to look at not the caffeine but the possible interactions of caffeine and other stimulant ingredients.
I can legally buy as much caffeine as I want and consume it and die. First a union kills twinkies and now the government wants to kill energy drinks by classifying them as something that can't be energy drinks. I wan't to be fat with a weak heart damn it!
