The City Of Chicago Is Your Mommy: Proposed Energy Drink Ban
What's next, they start setting adults' bedtimes?
Baylen Linnekin, the exposer of ludicrous food nannyism at reason, writes about a powerful Chicago Alderman, Edward Burke, pushing for the city to ban trans fats, foie gras, Four Loko, and Red Bull:
Chicago Alderman Edward Burke may be the staunchest elected opponent of food freedom in America whose name you've never heard.While New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg gets all the press--often with good reason--the fact that Ald. Burke commands little or no national attention is likely more a function of his Second City residence and second-banana title ("Dean of the Chicago City Council") than it is of any lack of regulatory zeal.
..."These energy drinks, if they're consumed in large amounts, especially by kids, can have serious health implications," Burke told WGN last week.
That's probably true of energy drinks--but also of coffee, tea, soda, juice, alcohol, water, and any other beverage.
And, in truth, energy drinks look a lot like a lot of other beverages.
...On an ounce for ounce basis, popular energy drinks often contain much less caffeine than coffee and other, more genteel beverages. An 8.5 ounce can of Red Bull, for example, contains 80 mg of caffeine. That's 100 mg less than a comparable (short) cup of Starbucks coffee, which boasts 180 mg of caffeine.
So why didn't Burke propose to ban coffee? Here's one hint: Burke apparently likes coffee.
If Burke's ordinance were to pass, its unintended consequences would be manifold. It would harm Chicago's struggling economy while enriching the coffers of suburban convenience stores, grocers, and other energy drink sellers--which would gain customers who normally bought their energy drinks in Chicago.
The ordinance would also likely result in the introduction and dominance of new players into Chicago's market. City stores that could no longer stock drinks banned under the law would simply switch to selling higher-caffeine products that don't contain guarana or tuarine--like SK Energy shots and others on the horizon that contain oddball additives like "synthetic Asian hornet larvae secretion."
I got dumped by my angry short guy loser psychiatrist at Kaiser (who only grudgingly prescribed me the ADHD meds I'd been taking for years because he doesn't really believe in ADHD) and moved to another. (I got the angry short guy after my sweet old shrink -- a guy who sounded like Eeyore from Winnie The Pooh -- retired.)
Before I thought about it and realized I could trust the young shrink I got moved to on science, I started to go apeshit on caffeine, making coffee that was break-a-tooth black or ordering "black eyes" in cafes (two shots of espresso in a small cup of coffee) because I thought caffeine helped me or would help me slow down and focus. It turned out that Ritalin wasn't really working for me.
When I told my new, science-based young psychiatrist that it had become almost physically painful for me to concentrate, and that I was thinking of taking Mucinex to ramp up the caffeine's effect, he gave me Adderall, which changed my life. (It is not only a dopamine reuptake inhibitor like the Ritalin I was taking, it pushes a little dopamine out into the brain -- which makes all the difference. I can sit and concentrate for long periods of time without my attention flying around the room and my head in six different directions.)
Anyway, the point is, it is entirely possible to get vast quantities of caffeine simply by buying a $14 espresso machine or ordering a double or triple espresso at a coffee shop.
What we need is to keep kids from overdoing it on espresso, donuts, drugs, alcohol, or Red Bull is to raise kids who aren't idiots and drug addicts, and for that we need the secure attachment and firm parenting of wholesome, intact families, not government acting as our mommy. Of course, government, through the welfare state, enabled the flood of single parenting that enables kids to be daddyless and rudderless.
P.S. On a "my shrink is a great guy" note, he emailed me yesterday to see how I was doing. I love that. Unlike the short angry loser shrink who wanted me to come in once a month, he gets that I am not crazy and there's no reason to kill my writing days to make me come in and see him for no good fucking reason. I actually want to see him, because he's smart and great and fun to talk to, but I'm going to make an appointment after I turn in my book.
Does the Adderall help curb the "ooh Shiny" effect? I've been reading up on ADD, and I'm pretty sure I have it along with other people in my family. I haven't gone for a diagnosis yet, since this is a fairly recent revelation.
Do the meds help with anything else besides focus? It's weird because I can get sidetracked so easily, but also can become obsessively focused to the point of staying up all night to read a book straight through.
LL at January 26, 2013 6:54 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2013/01/26/the_city_of_chi.html#comment-3580913">comment from LL"Does the Adderall help curb the "ooh Shiny" effect?"
It is amazing for it - for me, anyway.
My brain was just raw from struggling to concentrate. No longer. I wake up at 5am every day, write for four or five hours, nap, write for four or five more, nap, and write a wee bit more and then prep my radio show until I keel over. This is amazing.
I supplement its positive effects by not eating carbs, by putting a tablespoon of coconut oil in my half-and-half for my coffee, heating it, and foaming it into my coffee (Medium Chain Triglycerides -- ketones for the brain.) Google Emily Deans post on "ketones for the brain" to see why this is helpful. Must shower. Leaving house today for first time in a week so I won't have cabin fever.
Amy Alkon
at January 26, 2013 7:19 AM
> Of course, government, through the welfare
> state, enabled the flood of single parenting
> that enables kids to be daddyless and
> rudderless.
Now Amy, we both know it's not just the "welfare state" that "enables kids to be daddyless and rudderless."
Don't we?
Someone recently mentioned "an inability to accept that radical evil can come from the pursuit of progress."
And I was all, like, yeah. We know.
Crid [CridComment at Gmail] at January 26, 2013 8:21 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2013/01/26/the_city_of_chi.html#comment-3580972">comment from Crid [CridComment at Gmail]Now Amy, we both know it's not just the "welfare state" that "enables kids to be daddyless and rudderless."
Correct. It's also the lack of stigmatization of having children outside a family structure -- especially in the black community, where approximately 70 percent of kids are raised by a single parent (usually a single mother).
Amy Alkon
at January 26, 2013 8:50 AM
Art Carden is Assistant Professor of Economics and a Research Fellow with the Independent Institute:
When the incentives are right, good things happen despite bad people. When the incentives are wrong, bad things happen despite good people.
Progressives: When your intentions are selfish, you can't do anything good. When your intentions are collective, you can't do anything bad.
Andrew_M_Garland at January 26, 2013 9:52 AM
Another drug I'm seeing used more often to treat ADHD is clonidine.
Ken R at January 26, 2013 10:08 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2013/01/26/the_city_of_chi.html#comment-3581096">comment from Ken RMy issue seems to be with dopamine and focus.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clonidine
People love to keep amphetamines from other people -- not that you're necessarily one of those, but I fucking resent those who want to, and especially, those who try and succeed, like the bureaucratic turds at the DEA.
Amy Alkon
at January 26, 2013 10:15 AM
> especially in the black community
Oh, take the point— The number of minority communities encouraged to misbehave is expanding by, in Gray's words, "radical evil."
Crid [CridComment at Gmail] at January 26, 2013 10:45 AM
Has anyone noticed over the last 50 yrs we've shifted from the position of
A) Religious conservatives claiming 'god hates whatever teenagers like' and enacting "blue laws" to prevent teenagers from doing what they want
to
B) Liberal democrats claiming 'what teenagers like are dangerous in some ineffable way like (Insert Bullshit Here)' and passing "public safety initiatives" to the EXACT same effect?
Now is it just me, or does it seem like more than half the shit any legislative, or administrative government body passes seem solely designed to punish the younger generation out of some twisted form of jealousy?
Case in point, the creation of the ice cream sundae
http://robotchicken.wikia.com/wiki/Unwrapped:_Sundaes
lujlp at January 26, 2013 11:52 AM
Many sport drinks contain NO caffeine, will they be attacked also?
jefe at January 26, 2013 12:49 PM
I certainly agree with banning the Four Loco or doing something about it. I guess they did say they would reformulate so maybe this isn't true any more. But a single can (bigger than a pop can) had the alcohol equivalent of about the average 6 pack in addition to a huge amount of caffeine. Maybe once that type of product because more normal...otherwise it seems like a great way for someone to drink way more than the think. I understand the caffeine hides the alcohol's affect to some degree (wide awake drunk affect).
The Former Banker at January 26, 2013 3:26 PM
Why? What gives you, or anyone else, a right to decide what I put in my body?
This is the same argument against alcohol, pot, or heroin. So now you want to apply it generally to just about every citizen of the country because of your whim? Or just those in the Chicago area? How about just in Illinois based on your non-scientific guesstimate?
The problem with your view is that you are ceding your right decide what you, or others, want to consume to government. That isn't the government's right to decide. It is not your right to make that decision for me either.
You need to ask "Why do I need the government's permission?"
Jim P. at January 26, 2013 7:26 PM
Would he be a good guest on your Sunday show at some point? Maybe the working shrink view?
Jim P. at January 26, 2013 7:29 PM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2013/01/26/the_city_of_chi.html#comment-3581600">comment from Jim P.P.S. On a "my shrink is a great guy" note, he emailed me yesterday to see how I was doing. I love that. Would he be a good guest on your Sunday show at some point? Maybe the working shrink view?
I can't do that -- because I think there are rules against interacting with a patient in any other way than as a patient.
I respect him greatly and would otherwise have him on. But, for now, I just have to consider myself lucky for having him and getting the gift of amazing productivity out of it. I worked until 3 minutes to six today, from 9am, at my fave writing cafe, and only stopped then and went home because the cafe was closing at 6.
Amy Alkon
at January 26, 2013 8:37 PM
Amy,
Not a problem. I was throwing it out as a show idea. Maybe the retired guy. But I'm a non-involved participant. There is always a difference between the academic and the practicing.
It may be worth a show at some point. Hell, you could create the next Dr. Phil. :-)
Jim P. at January 26, 2013 9:34 PM
My husband had a prescription for Clarinex D at our benefits provider's mail order pharmacy. They've sent a letter saying they can't get it. I blame the government and all the drug nannies.
nonegiven at January 27, 2013 6:54 AM
I've been using coconut oil for my hair and am super happy with the results. I'm interested to see what else it can do so thanks for the info!
LL at January 27, 2013 11:43 AM
I didn't realize Fois Gras was such a widespread health threat. Are regular folks eating as much pate as cheeseburgers these days?
They'll soon be outlawing caviar (sodium) and truffle oil (they'll-think-of-something) also, as these common foods impact the teeming, obese masses.
bmused at January 27, 2013 2:00 PM
@Jim P -- If you want to buy your kool-aid, caffeine, and vodka and make your version of Four loko that is fine with me.
The problem as I see it is many people who were getting it were not understanding what they were getting till it was too late. Where I was it was sold as a wine cooler...I don't know how they legally qualified as that but they did. And as reported on the local news, its most common use was getting unsuspecting girls completely hammered to take advantage of them. Hear princess, this is an unopened can so you know its ok.
Maybe some better labelling could solve the issue. Big Letter...HIGH ALCOHOL content.
The Former Banker at January 27, 2013 8:52 PM
Blue laws, public safety initiatives: Leftists never had a problem with authoritarianism as such. They only had a problem with who was in control. Now that they've solved that problem, authoritarianism is just find and dandy.
Cousin Dave at January 28, 2013 10:30 AM
Per Wiki:
Meanwhile you have Sam Adams Double Bock at 8.5% and Budweiser is 5.0% per http://www.alcoholcontents.com/beer/ There are also more than one that has a higher content than the Sam Adams.
But even at 12% FL right in the beer and wine cooler categories for alcohol content.
Have some facts before condemning something.
Jim P. at January 28, 2013 4:53 PM
The problem as I see it is many people who were getting it were not understanding what they were getting till it was too late.
Why the fuck do people capable of reading the ingredents on the can have to be punished because of the few fucktards who cant?
lujlp at January 29, 2013 9:34 AM
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