U.S. Senator Calls For A Federal Investigation Into Logan Paul's Energy Drink Prime
The drink has so much caffeine that it got the attention of the government.
@charlesperalo / TikTok Social media influencers and ex-boxing rivals, Logan Paul and Olajide “KSI” Olatunji, put their differences aside and created a sports drink brand called Prime Hydration in 2021. Their drink was meant to be a sports drink that suited every lifestyle.
Prime Hydration quickly sold out once it launched. At Aldi, a grocery store based in the U.K., workers had to limit the number of drinks that customers could purchase so they wouldn’t run out as quickly.
With the immense success of Prime Hydration, Paul and KSI decided to launch Prime Energy a year later. A 12-ounce can contains 200 mg of caffeine, which is almost twice the caffeine content of Red Bull, which contains 111 mg.
In a press release announcing the launch of Prime Energy, Paul said, “We launched Prime with one product line exactly one year ago and we’ve already grown to surpass some of the biggest players in the industry. It’s been surreal to see our growth and now that we’re taking on the energy space, I’m excited to see where we can go.”
But Paul and KSI probably didn’t expect to receive attention from the government.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called for a federal investigation by the FDA into Prime Energy for its high caffeine content and the way it’s marketed.
“A lot of parents may not have heard of it, but their kids have because Prime is engaged in a vast advertising campaign aimed at kids,” Schumer stated in his speech calling on the FDA to investigate the drink. Schumer claimed that the drink is aimed toward kids because of the young social media following that both Paul and KSI have.
Of Paul’s 25.9 million Instagram followers, 61% of them are under 24 years old, and of his 17.7 million TikTok followers, 80% of them are under the age of 24. KSI has similar numbers. Of his 12.9 million Instagram followers, 63% of them are under the age of 24. The Drink Prime Instagram account has 1.7 million followers and 66% of them are under the age of 24.
Schumer is justifiably worried about children consuming the beverage. “Prime is born from the reels of social media and the enigmatic world of influencers. Kids see it on their phones as they scroll, and then they actually have a need for it,” Schumer asserted.
CNN medical correspondent, Meg Tirrell, stated that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under 12 have no caffeine, children 12-18 should consume no more than 100 mg, and adults should consume 400 mg or less.
Tirrell went on to explain that kids should not drink caffeine because it impacts their sleep and can cause dehydration, higher blood pressure, and anxiety. The consumption of caffeine can likewise affect neurological development and the development of the cardiovascular system in kids.
CNN politics and business correspondent, Vanessa Yurkevich, spoke on the marketing of Prime. Yurkevich stressed that the brand was marketed on social media and Paul, who has a massive young audience, does most of the marketing for it. The brand is part of Base Sports Group, a sports sponsorship group that sponsors youth sports. This is controversial since the product is not meant for children under 18 to consume.
The controversy over the drink has spread to social media.
TikToker Charles Peralo (@charlesperalo) made a video speaking on the situation. Peralo claimed that Paul committed false advertising with Prime.
Paul claimed that Prime Hydration is more nutritious than Gatorade because it contains less sugar. However, Peralo pointed out that Prime contains a high level of sucralose, which is an artificial sweetener, and is comparably as unhealthy or more unhealthy than consuming high amounts of sugar.
Paul advertised both drinks as “better for you” than other sports drinks or energy drinks. Peralo claimed that this tactic was used to target his young audience since they can argue to their parents that the drinks are healthier than other alternatives.
A TikTok posted by Morning Brew Daily (@mbdailyshow) elaborated on the fact that Schumer believed the marketing for Prime Hydration and Prime Energy were too close and the packaging is too hard to differentiate for Congress’s liking. They also claimed that the drink has been connected to heart problems and anxiety in children who have consumed it.
In response to the call for an investigation, Prime claimed that its energy drink contains a comparable amount of caffeine to other brands, which all fall within the legal limit of the countries it is sold in. The company said it has “complied with all FDA guidelines before hitting the market and states clearly on packaging, as well as in marketing materials, that it is an energy drink and is not made for anyone under the age of 18.”
Is this warning enough for the FDA?
According to CNN's Terrill, it is harder for the FDA to take enforced action on products like this. After speaking with a former FDA executive, she predicted that the FDA will release a public health warning regarding Prime so parents are given a full disclosure about the dangers the drink poses to their children’s health.
All we can do now is hope the FDA does something to make it harder for the drink to be accessible to children before serious health problems occur.
Tarah Hickel is a Washington-based writer and a frequent contributor to YourTango. She focuses on entertainment and news stories that include viral topics and popular culture.