Hey, Dick Durbin, Limit This

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) is calling for the FDA to impose new regulations that would limit caffeine levels of energy drinks, on the grounds that consuming large quantities of caffeine has “health consequences.”

What food or beverage consumed in excess would not cause “health consequences”? Tuna contains mercury, eating too much of which can damage your nervous system; should the government ban or limit the sale of tuna? Eating too much sugar can make you obese, lead to heart trouble, and cause diabetes; should the government limit the amount of sugar you can buy? Drinking too much water can cause your brain to swell; it can even kill you; should the government regulate water consumption? One could multiply examples endlessly.

Businessmen and consumers have a moral right to act on their own judgement, so long as they do not use physical force or commit fraud. Companies that sell energy drinks voluntarily trade value for value with their customers, and the companies are legally forbidden to commit fraud. The customers know that drinking too much caffeine is unhealthy, and their right to act on their judgment includes the right to consume large quantities of caffeine if they so choose.

The only thing that needs to be regulated or limited today is the power of the government.

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Image: Wikimedia Commons

About Joshua Lipana

Joshua (John M.) Lipana was, until his death in 2013, an assistant editor of The Objective Standard Blog and a freelance writer based in the Philippines. His writings appeared in numerous print and online publications, including Free Enterprise,Capitalism Magazine, NewsReal Blog, and The American Thinker.

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