Menendez and Krishnamoorthi Push for Stronger Energy Drink Safety Rules to Protect Kids

Skip to content Close Home About Meet Rob Committees Issues Services Get Help How Can We Help You? Know Your Rights Congress On Your Side Support for Veterans Traveling soon? Anti-Spam Resources What happens if the government shuts down Stay Connected With Us Email Our Team Directly Sign Up For Our Newsletter Share Your Story Nominate a Constituent of the Month 2025 End-of-Year Report Stop ICE's NJ Expansion Federal Funding and Grants Apply for a grant Submit FY27 Appropriations Requests FY27 Community Project Funding Flags and Greetings Request a U.S. Flag Commendations and Greetings Student Opportunities Internships Congressional Award Service Academy Nomination Congressional App Challenge Congressional Art Competition Youth Advisory Council Visiting D.C. Request tours and tickets News Press Releases Contact Get Help Write to Rob Close Mobile Site Search SEARCH Congressman Rob Menendez About Meet Rob Committees Issues Services Get Help How Can We Help You? Know Your Rights Congress On Your Side Support for Veterans Traveling soon? Anti-Spam Resources What happens if the government shuts down Stay Connected With Us Email Our Team Directly Sign Up For Our Newsletter Share Your Story Nominate a Constituent of the Month 2025 End-of-Year Report Stop ICE's NJ Expansion Federal Funding and Grants Apply for a grant Submit FY27 Appropriations Requests FY27 Community Project Funding Flags and Greetings Request a U.S. Flag Commendations and Greetings Student Opportunities Internships Congressional Award Service Academy Nomination Congressional App Challenge Congressional Art Competition Youth Advisory Council Visiting D.C. Request tours and tickets News Press Releases Contact Get Help Write to Rob ES Modal Search Button Mobile Site Search Submit Search MENU ES Home News Press Releases October 13, 2026 Menendez and Krishnamoorthi Push for Stronger Energy Drink Safety Rules to Protect Kids WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressmen Rob Menendez (NJ-08) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. calling on HHS to update federal research and guidance on high-caffeine energy drinks and conduct a comprehensive assessment of their consumption and health effects among school-aged children. “Kids are consuming more caffeine than ever, and Sarah Katz’s tragic death exposed how dangerous poor labeling and hidden caffeine levels can be,” said Congressman Menendez. “We are calling on HHS to update federal caffeine guidelines, protect our children, and ensure parents and teachers have the information they need to keep children safe.” “Energy drink use among kids is at record levels, while caffeine-related emergency room visits among middle and high school students have roughly doubled,” said Congressman Krishnamoorthi. “These products can pose serious health risks to children, yet the federal government is still relying on outdated research and guidance. Our government needs to catch up and give parents, schools, and health care providers the information they need to keep kids safe.” In 2022, 21-year-old Jersey City native Sarah Katz died after drinking an energy drink that was improperly labeled. Congressman Menendez reintroduced the bipartisan Sarah Katz Caffeine Safety Act last year to increase transparency of caffeine in food and beverages. The bill would also require the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) to conduct a safety review for caffeine and support a study to examine how caffeine impacts vulnerable populations, including children. Today, nearly one in four high school seniors consume energy drinks daily, up from one in six in 2022. From 2017 to 2023, caffeine-related emergency department visits among middle and high school students roughly doubled. Despite this uptick, official CDC guidance still relies in part on a 2013 SAMHSA report using emergency department visit data from 2007 to 2011. The lawmakers also raised concerns about a lack of federal oversight and caffeine labeling requirements for energy drinks. FDA guidance is over ten years old, nonbinding, and provides no recommended caffeine limit for children or adolescents. Menendez and Krishnamoorthi requested that HHS conduct a comprehensive assessment of energy drink consumption and its health effects among school-aged children and provide answers to the following questions: What research is HHS currently conducting or funding on energy drink consumption and its health effects among school-aged children, including interactions between energy drinks and prescribed stimulant medications? When will SAMHSA or another HHS component update its 2013 analysis with national estimates of energy drink-related emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and deaths among minors? Does FDA intend to evaluate or establish recommended limits on caffeine intake for children and adolescents? FDA has listed draft guidance on labeling caffeine content as a 2026 priority. When will that guidance be