Cocaine Test Prompts Red Bull Removal In Germany

viyh writes to mention that six German states have mandated pulling Red Bull Cola energy drinks off the shelves after testing found trace amounts of cocaine in the drink. "Germany's Federal Institute for Risk Assessment said Monday that the cocaine level was too low to pose a health risk. It planned to produce a more detailed report Wednesday. Red Bull said its cola is 'harmless and marketable in both the US and Europe.' It said similar coca leaf extracts are used worldwide as flavoring, and a test it commissioned itself found no cocaine traces."

Comments

The War on (some) Drugs

[causality]

If the stated purpose of the War on (some) Drugs is public safety and the prevention of crime (since drug use is handled as a law enforcement problem and not as a medical issue), I'd like to know how this furthers the cause. The brief article stated the cocaine content amounted to 0.4 micrograms of cocaine per liter of the beverage. Sounds to me like anyone trying to use cocaine by drinking Red Bull Cola would die of excess water consumption (anything is a poison given a high enough dose) before they'd feel the cocaine at all. Additionally, if someone tried to extract the cocaine from the drink and purify it, they'd spend a ton of money on the drink and I would imagine, since we're talking about nanogram amounts per liter, the expenditure would have to far exceed what they'd pay if they obtained it from a drug dealer.

Welcome to modern drug hysteria where logic and reasoning need not apply when evaluating potential threats to public safety. Aren't the Germans glad they have a government that's powerful enough to worry about things like this? It's amazing, really. No matter how absurd the drug hysteria becomes, no one or almost no one with any significant media presence is willing to suggest that maybe the way we're currently handling drugs isn't the best way to deal with them.

Re:The War on (some) Drugs

[Rob Kaper]

Aren't the Germans glad they have a government that's powerful enough to worry about things like this?

The war on drugs is a good topic to start not to single out nation states. It's Germany now, but this is no exception. The rest of Europe isn't much better, except maybe Portugal who have actually decriminalised a lot. Even my Holland is slowly turning into a nanny state when it comes to drugs. Let's not even get started about the US, or the rest of the world for that matter.

Re:The War on (some) Drugs

[gringofrijolero]

If the media keeps its mouth shut, it will be allowed to live. As contraband, drugs are much more profitable to organized criminals in, and out of government. This is no health issue any more than a speed trap is a safety issue. The reasons for this situation is quite simple. But it's more effective to make a moral issue out of it for mass appeal. And it still is very much a racial issue. Don't want your daughter hanging out with jazz musicians.

Re:The War on (some) Drugs

[phantomfive]

Go out on the streets. How many druggies do you see? You can probably find some if you look hard enough. How many drunks do you see? Tons. Legalizing drugs (by itself) will not reduce the number of crackheads on the street. There need to be other actions taken as well.

Re:The War on (some) Drugs

[fractoid]

I will tell you why I am against legalization of drugs (although this is an unpopular stance on slashdot):

I will tell you why I am for legalization of drugs, and hopefully you will see that my reasons are exactly the same as yours:

Because when I have crackheads walking down the street all the time to the house on the corner, I want to be able to call the police and have them be able to do something about it.

Because if crack were legal, crackheads wouldn't walk to that house, they'd drop into a chemist and pay $24.95 for a clean, measured dose. They wouldn't have to deal with dealers price gouging them once they get hooked, so they wouldn't have to steal your bigscreen TV to pay for their next hit. If they get wired and screw up in public, then arrest them for their behaviour. If they don't cause any public nuisance then why is it any of your damn business what they do?

When my neighbor's meth lab burns his house to the ground, I want him to go away, not build a new, better one.

Why would your neighbour bother to run a meth lab if he can buy some cheaply and legally? I don't see him running an illegal still in his basement.

These are not made up issues. Drugs suck. They cause sucky things in society. And a lot of people, probably the majority, feel this way.

These are not made up issues, but they are caused by prohibition, not by the drugs themselves.

The only reason that legalisation ISN'T good is that people who get addicted would not have so much pressure to quit. I say that is their personal choice and they should take personal responsibility.

Re:The War on (some) Drugs

[N1AK]

Are you completely incapable of considering the notion that you might be wrong? A good half-dozen people have responded with very clear arguments explaining why legalisation isn't going to cause you any more problems than you already have. You seem to be holding onto this bizarre notion that drug legalisation means the complete abolition of all laws relating to drugs.

Although it seems pretty obvious that you'll just ignore these as well, I've got time to burn trying:
1/ If people can buy drugs from a legal source their will be less dealers (less risk of dodgy doses, less risk of crime etc).
2/ If less money is being spent on catching and incarcerating people for possession etc this leaves more for rehab, catching illegal dealers etc.
3/ Legalisation of sale does not mean it would be legal to use in public.
4/ It would be easier for addicts to seak help without the stigma of an illegal habit.

There are downsides to legalisation, and I don't know if they would be bad enough to justify keeping drugs illegal. However, if you have a problem based on those, then make your case with them, currently all you are doing is repetitively claiming that drug legalisation will cause a mob of crackheads to congregate at your frontdoor.

She's alright

[Neon Aardvark]

Trace amounts of cocaine were found in the German parliament toilets.

Ergo, German politicians should be banned from Germany.

What a bunch of bull.

[Anonymous Coward]

At 0.0004 milligrams per litre, you'd have to drink 10,000 litres to have the effects of a mild everyday south american coca tea. And 100,000 litres to get "high". I'd be more worried about the caffeine...

Re:Cool story bro

[Anonymous Coward]

There's no way in hell that Old English 800 and Steel reserve are just barley, hops, and yeast. They cause psychotropic effects similar to PCP.

When stupid, violent people drink malted liquor beverages it lowers their inhibitions resulting in behavior that is, not surprisingly, stupid and violent.

Red Bull PR team must be partying now

[Ilgaz]

I guess the lawmakers hope that all people, especially people who buys extra caffeine containing things like Red Bull must hate cocaine or should be afraid of it.

If Red Bull sales explode because of these news, I wouldn't be so surprised. Red Bull could never come up with such a great PR idea, getting banned for having trace amounts of cocaine, a World known, famous thing.

Ask any police guy, they are particularly afraid of cocaine because people somehow think it is classy. While it may have very same, very dangerous side effects (including sudden death) and addiction, they aren't afraid of it like they would be afraid of heroine.

You now declare a free to buy thing in grocery store has that matter even it is ridiculously low. Very clever. If I was Red Bull, I would even sponsor these politicians.

Re:Don't forget this fact, you can't get it back

[Falconhell]

Ya know what cocaine makes you feel like?

More cocaine!

Re:It's everywhere

[John Hasler]

There are small amounts of everything everywhere, for sufficiently small values of "small".

Red Bull Cola Tastes like shit!

[Jackie_Chan_Fan]

I tried Red Bull Cola and it tastes horrible. Its not even good. It's just shit.

Perhaps the cocaine content is to help "sell" the product as something deliciously mmm mmm good? You would have to be on hallucinogens to enjoy Red Bull Cola's shit taste.

 

Free Advertising!

[whistlingtony]

Yup, controversy sells. I bet red bull loved this. Free advertising!

Sounds like good news for Red Bull Cola US Sales!

[moxley]

Sounds like good news for Red Bull Cola US Sales!

Yes, because we Americans, we love us some Cocaine!!

I guarantee it though, that that stuff will sell better in the US because of this story.

Re:Cool story bro

[Niris]

Some of us with shitty pasts still flirt and sing and dance when drunk because it's just fun.

Re:Cool story bro

[GooberToo]

Of course, you have folks out there who are banning hemp because marijuana gets people high.

Hemp != marijuana
Marijuana can be used as hemp but it is not real "hemp." They are in the same family but true hemp does not have THC. Smoking hemp will give you a headache so bad, getting knocked out with a mallet will feel like relief. In fact, modern strains of hemp truly have zero THC.

The last time hemp was legally grown in the US was WWII. You can still find it growing wild. Its now called ditch weed. The truth of the matter is, real ditch weed is actually hemp and can not get you high.

The truth of the matter is, cotton growers, petroleum and chemical corporations, and now corn growers are the real reasons why hemp is illegal in the US. Hemp directly competes with all of their bottom lines.