Alarm bells are ringing for Logan Paul's energy drink Prime, as U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York held a press conference on July 9 to condemn Prime's "eye-popping levels of caffeine" and marketing to children. Schumer has called on the Food and Drug Administration to formally investigate the beverage's health effects and advertising (via Kotaku). [One of the hottest status symbols for kids this summer is neither clothing nor toys. But buyers and parents should beware, as their frenzied targeting is a serious health concern for children."

Prime was co-created by Paul with YouTuber KSI, who is also a boxing-loving influencer with a youthful following; the two have been hyping Prime since 2022, but the drink only really started gaining traction earlier this year It was only earlier this year that the drink really began to gain traction. That's when I noticed that my local corner store carried Prime, and that's when Prime's ad aired during the biggest American television event of the year, the Super Bowl. Shortly after that, reports began to appear questioning the nutritional value of the drink.

"The problem here is that this product contains as much caffeine as Red Bull," Schumer continued at the press conference. But unlike Red Bull, [Prime's] ad campaign targets children under the age of 18." [A 12-ounce can of Prime Energy contains 200 mg of caffeine, which is twice as much as a 12-ounce serving of Red Bull. There are two versions of Prime Energy: a "sports drink" that comes in plastic bottles and is advertised as a Gatorade alternative, and an "energy drink" (available in 2023) that comes in the same metal cans as other energy drinks. The sports drink version is zero caffeine and, as far as I can tell, seems to be the drink most of the marketing is being done for. [At first glance, Prime Energy looks like a smaller version of the sports drink, with almost identical flavors and nearly identical labeling. The biggest difference is the can itself, with Prime Energy's can bearing the small words "Not recommended for children under 18 years of age."

Prime is hardly unique: the new wave of energy drinks, which I like to call "anti-bang," is positioned as a simple, fruity-flavored, slightly carbonated snack. For people my age and zip code, Celsius, with 200 mg of caffeine in the same 12-ounce can, is the equivalent of the current energy drink sensation. A small can of Celsius and an unassuming picture of sliced fruit could be said to be the downside to what you're drinking.

Paul and KSI are working from the same playbook at Prime, the main difference, of course, being who they are selling to.

After I broached the subject of energy drinks, my 15-year-old cousin called and said, "You mean Prime? I was a little surprised that he already knew the difference between Prime, a sports drink, and Prime, an energy drink. He said he sees a lot of Prime ads on TikTok and all his friends know about it. He has tried both versions of the drink and thinks it's fine. But he didn't expect to get such a strong buzz from a relatively small can.

The teenage cousin also noted that the 16-ounce Gfuel drink, a flavor favored by popular influencers and gaming franchises, contains an even more intense 300 mg of caffeine. This came as a surprise to my aunt, who was present during the call.

In short, Logan Paul will not be honored as an upright citizen anytime soon, but he is not alone in challenging children and adults to consume ridiculous amounts of caffeine. Will the FDA begin to restrict energy drink ingredients in general? The regulatory agency recently issued a restriction on concentrated caffeine powder in 2018, but it is unclear if such a restriction exists for U.S. beverages.

Prime Energy was banned in some Australian schools earlier this year due to its caffeine content. It was also removed from stores in Denmark because the amount of caffeine per 100 ml exceeded the country's legal limit.