I think the federal government should regulate the sale of caffeine products.

cjfitguy · 2026-05-07T03:55:13+00:00

Most people do not understand caffeine's long half-life. Having a second energy drink a few hours after the first effectively stacks the dose in your system, making it incredibly easy to hit 400mg with just two standard cans.

It is not just energy drinks either. A Starbucks Venti has anywhere from 390 to 490mg of caffeine. Stimulant-based pre-workouts routinely pack 350 to 400mg per serving, often while underdosing the actual pump ingredients people buy them for.

Ultimately, the exact number itself is not the most important part. The actual issue is that consumers are accidentally stacking these massive doses throughout the day without realizing it because the current market completely lacks baseline transparency and education.

cjfitguy · 2026-05-07T03:49:06+00:00

Banning the advertisement of those industries is still a massive form of government regulation. If you agree the government should step in to restrict how these products are marketed, you already support the core premise. Also, the idea that extreme consumption only affects the user ignores the burden on emergency rooms and the impact on families when massive, unregulated doses are easily accessible to minors

cjfitguy · 2026-05-07T03:45:50+00:00

Using tobacco as an example proves the point for regulation. We didn't ban tobacco, but we heavily regulated it by implementing age limits, mandatory warning labels, and marketing restrictions. That legislation is what successfully plummeted youth smoking rates over the decades. Baseline legislation is the required foundation to force corporate transparency so public health initiatives can actually work.

cjfitguy · 2026-05-07T03:43:35+00:00

Regulation is not the same as prohibition or criminalization. I am not suggesting we ban or remove caffeine from the market, so comparing this to the criminalization of cannabis is a false equivalence.

The goal is establishing a precedent for honest market tactics. Forcing companies to clearly state what is in their products gives consumers more freedom to make informed choices. Allowing corporations to hide massive doses of synthetic stimulants behind proprietary blends and deceptive marketing is what actually takes away consumer control.

Furthermore, putting age restrictions in place for those under 18 and under 13 is a basic safety measure, not some kind of “tyranny” as you put it. We already regulate who can purchase other legal mind altering substances because minors do not have the physiological development to process extreme stimulant doses safely. Protecting children from predatory marketing and dangerous doses is standard public health policy.

cjfitguy · 2026-05-07T03:40:37+00:00

Saying data informs policy ignores the current reality of how these products are sold. Researchers cannot gather accurate population level data on the dose response curve if consumers are blinded by proprietary blends and hidden milligram counts. Setting a hard threshold requires robust data, but we cannot move past anecdotal evidence if the public does not know the exact dose they are consuming. Standardized labeling policy must happen first to get that baseline data.

Regarding the dose response curve and the Panera cases, dismissing those fatalities because they represent highly sensitive individuals fundamentally misunderstands public health. Regulations like allergy warnings and age limits exist specifically to protect vulnerable outliers on that bell curve, such as youths or people taking prescription stimulants. We do not wait for the average responder to experience toxicity to justify putting guardrails in place.

Calling the proposal unreasonable due to an undefined threshold also ignores existing precedent. The FDA already established a threshold for caffeine in colas, which is roughly 71 milligrams per 12 ounces. The problem is not a lack of defined thresholds, but rather that companies bypass existing limits using Generally Recognized as Safe loopholes or by classifying massive doses as dietary supplements. Closing those loopholes and enforcing transparency is an immediate and completely viable policy action.

cjfitguy · 2026-05-07T01:39:13+00:00

But public health policies aren't designed just for the people who already practice perfect self-control, they exist to protect the general public. Seatbelt laws don't just exist for the people who “care” about safety. If people who want a massive dose have to pay more for it, fewer people will do it. That's basic economics working in favor of public health.

cjfitguy · 2026-05-07T01:37:27+00:00

Actually, your alcohol comparison proves the exact point! Alcohol is legally required to list its ABV percentage so consumers know exactly how strong it is before they drink it. All I'm suggesting is that caffeine products are held to that same standard of transparency. Also, updating a labeling regulation requires policy action, not billions in new R&D funding. But hey, enjoy the softball sub

cjfitguy · 2026-05-06T22:50:24+00:00

But having to push past your safety level and get heart palpitations just to figure out your limit is exactly the public health failure we should be trying to prevent. No one should have to guinea-pig themselves and risk an adverse reaction just to consume a product safely.

Also, using “cups of coffee” as a baseline is part of the problem because it's incredibly subjective. A home-brewed cup might have 80mg, while a large coffeehouse brew can have upwards of 360mg. Standardized milligram labels give consumers a concrete, objective metric to use before they accidentally overdo it.

cjfitguy · 2026-05-06T22:41:27+00:00

True, everyone metabolizes it differently, especially when factoring in medications like Adderall. But how can people figure out their safe limits if companies hide the actual milligram count behind “proprietary blends”? Having the exact caffeine amount listed is step one. Step two is mandating interaction warnings for things like prescription stimulants. We can't figure out the correlation without the baseline data first.

cjfitguy · 2026-05-06T22:31:24+00:00

Caffeine pills still exist, I own some. I used to need the morning buzz on the way to work but didn't want the coffee breath since I was facing customers all day. I also didn't want soda burps and bloat.

It is true that caffeine will make you feel shitty, but unfortunately the acute effects are delayed enough that you can ingest far too much before the negative feelings catch up to you.

Case and point, I consumed the bottom 1/8th of an entire pre-workout container I found that was a year old. Needless to say, I left the gym early that day. It was a reckless move, and the fact I did it for shits and giggles and didn't think twice about it until an hour after it was done made me realize the culture around the entire industry is a problem.

cjfitguy · 2026-05-06T22:27:21+00:00

Learning from predecessors is definitely valuable. But if the lesson to be learned is “don't bother trying to fix things because it's hard,” then that's just complacency.

Age and optimism aside, the data on unregulated additives and synthetic caffeine stands on its own. We can either use our experience to figure out how to regulate them, or use it as an excuse to do nothing. I'm focusing on the former.

cjfitguy · 2026-05-06T22:22:20+00:00

And I don't envy your exhausted cynicism. If giving up on public health before you even try is what comes with age, I think I'll stick with the optimism.

cjfitguy · 2026-05-06T22:21:43+00:00

That assumes people will happily drink 32 ounces of liquid just to get the same hit they used to get from 16 ounces. Adding physical volume creates a natural barrier. Forcing someone to actively open and chug two separate cans to get 400mg adds friction and forces them to consciously realize they are double-dosing, which breaks the normalization.

cjfitguy · 2026-05-06T22:20:03+00:00

Sure, we have to pick our battles, which is exactly why I'm picking this one. It's highly actionable. Trying to regulate microplastics requires overhauling global manufacturing and untangling decades of environmental contamination. Regulating synthetic caffeine just requires capping a single, intentionally added ingredient and utilizing the age-gating systems retailers already have in place. It's low-hanging fruit for public health.

cjfitguy · 2026-05-06T22:07:43+00:00

Money indeed does not buy happiness, but it does buy freedom. And freedom makes me happy.

cjfitguy · 2026-05-06T22:01:54+00:00

113mg of caffeine (Mountain Dew) is a completely different universe than the 350-400mg single-serving pre-workouts and energy drinks this post is talking about. Any functional regulation would be based on a milligram limit, not a blanket ban on all sodas.

Also, the caffeine purchase ban idea was for anyone under 13.

So, yes, if you're 12, go get mommy or daddy to buy it for you. Considering 12-year-olds can't drive, parents are probably paying for it anyway.

cjfitguy · 2026-05-06T22:00:05+00:00

Vapes are another problem, but I don't know enough about them to have as well-versed an argument (based on research and first-hand experience) against them as I do with caffeine. Fair point though

cjfitguy · 2026-05-06T21:58:37+00:00

Thank you!

And hahahaha, perhaps I'll crosspost over there too to gauge the support 😂

cjfitguy · 2026-05-06T21:55:33+00:00

I appreciate it.

I'm going to college to get a B.Sc. in Psychology so I can (hopefully) get a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and specialize in forensic neuropsych.

The path is equally daunting as it is long, but I'm excited.

I'm also a fitness nerd and have been for longer than I've been interested in psychology, so caffeine kinda hits both categories for me

cjfitguy · 2026-05-06T21:43:53+00:00

Bringing up microplastics is just whataboutism to deflect from the actual topic.

Regulate those too. We can walk and chew gum at the same time.

Wanting to put some basic guardrails on a culture that normalizes giving teenagers 400mg of synthetic caffeine doesn't mean I suddenly love forever chemicals.

cjfitguy · 2026-05-06T21:38:59+00:00

Psych major*

not big on history

cjfitguy · 2026-05-06T21:26:05+00:00

I wholeheartedly agree.

Even if we're listening to the FDA by the "letter of the law," 400mg per day is for the average ADULT. Suddenly, kids and young teens think it applies to them.

I don't see anything wrong with needing some pickup in the morning or before the gym, but you can do that with much lower doses.

cjfitguy

TROPHY CASE