Have you seen that old Winston cigarettes commercial starring everybody's favourite "modern-stone-age-family" the Flintstones?If you haven't, check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Tg1kEBUO9AA lot has changed since those innocent days when cigarette companies could get away with advertising that directly or indirectly targets children. For one thing, it's been illegal since the early part of this decade for cigarette brands to advertise on television in Canada.But even in the 1960s it must have seemed ridiculous to see Fred and Barney lighting up. No?At any rate, the hefty body of evidence from the medical community that first- and second-hand cigarette smoke causes serious health complications has been effective in loosening the grip of cigarette companies on young people. The statistics show that year-after-year youth smoking rates are declining.But perhaps we haven't seen the last of this trend.A recent editorial that appeared in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, called "Caffeinating" children and youth condemns the advertising strategies used by the makers of energy drinks. According to the article, energy drinks are "targeted toward children and youth through carefully designed advertising campaigns as well as sponsorship of events such as snowboarding and skateboarding competitions." If you've ever watched extreme sports on television you'd see that this is indeed the case - each and every rider, boarder and adrenaline junkie has an energy drink logo plastered all over his or her equipment. And it doesn't stop there. Energy drinks have been the headlining sponsor of a number of touring music festivals in the last number of years as well (see also: Rockstar Taste of Chaos, Rockstar Mayhem Festival, No Fear Energy Tour and the list goes on). Even Tapout, a mixed martial arts clothing company makes their own energy drink.Now don't get me wrong - anyone who knows me or has worked with me knows that I indulge in my fair share of energy drinks. If I have to wake up before say 9 a.m. chances are pretty good I'm picking up an energy drink on the way to work or school, whatever the case may be - so I would say my opinion counts for something. Ever since I downed my first Sugar Free Full Throttle years ago, I've been hooked on that energy "high" that the drinks offer up. (I also can't stand the taste of coffee, but that's neither here nor there.)But just like in the naive days of Flintstones cigarette commercials, it shouldn't take a genius to tell you that this product is potentially harmful to young, developing bodies. Kids have enough energy without having to trot down to the local 7/11 to get their hands on the equivalent of "10 cans of Cola."I'm not saying that these tasty energy-replenishing drinks should be outlawed, or made illegal (like in France and Denmark, where sale of Red Bull has been prohibited), nor do I think that the product is as dangerous in moderate amounts as some critics claim (I've been consuming several a week for the last few years and I'm still standing), but there should seriously be some thought given- or action taken- towards how these drinks (and all potentially unhealthy, or dangerous products) are being marketed.Since the beginning of advertising, it's been a well-understood fact that the 0-15 (taking a guess here) demographic is the most lucrative from a marketing standpoint. Kids like stuff, parents like to make kids happy - it's a beautiful combination and that's why companies target youth. Get them while they're young and they will keep buying and buying as they grow.But there needs to be stronger regulations put in place - or even a governing body set up to look more closely at the stickers going on skateboard helmets, or guitar amps, in order to cut off the marketing power of giant food and drink companies at the knees. If one or both of these ideas has already been implemented, I'm sorry for making assumptions, you just do a great job of making yourself invisible.Let's do the scientific and medical research before we start marketing to young people.The same can be applied to fast food conglomerates and Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus (whatever she goes by nowadays).Perhaps energy drinks will never be as unhealthy as cigarettes, but let's get some serious research done before we let them enter into other parts of the children's marketplace, and decide for sure whether the label "not recommended for children" means anything.And hopefully the Flintstones will stick to selling those delicious edible vitamins, and nothing else.
