[New caffeinated beverages. A pilot survey of familiarity and consumption by adolescents in North-Rhine Westphalia and Berlin and considerations of consumer protection]

Abstract

It was the aim of the present study to evaluate how adolescents in Germany accept and consume the new caffeinated drinks (NCD), which can now be legally marketed in Germany. In summer and fall 1994, three surveys were carried out at different schools in Germany, (Aachen, Cologne, Wuppertal, Berlin-West and Berlin-Ost). 1,265 boys and girls were asked for acquaintance with NCD (module I) and 875 of them about consumption (module II). With 727 pupils a third question (module III) was applied by which consumption of Cola drinks compared to that of NCD could be quantified. In total, 93.6% of the young people indicated to know about the NCD, and 53.3% to have tasted these new drinks. Consumption was reported as sometimes (< 1 can/week) from 23% and as repeatedly (1-7 cans/week) from 3%. Acquaintance and consumption were clearly related to age and gender, but even the youngest group (10-13 years old) indicated to have tasted the NCD (30.7% in females and 50% in males) and to drink them sometimes (5.2% in females and 23.1% in males). In the series with question module III 9.5% reported not to drink cola, 36.6% to drink cola "sometimes", 30.9% "repeatedly", 8.6% "often" and 11.6% "frequently" (> 2 cans/day). The corresponding figures for the NCD were 69.9% (non-drinkers), 23.3% "sometimes", 3.3% "repeatedly", 0.3% ten nd 0.6% "frequently". The results suggest that all young people in Germany know about the NCD but actually consume these new drinks moderately. They prefer cola drinks. The observation, however, that a small group may consume extreme amounts and that even very young pupils consume the NCD regularly should give rise to have a close look at the consumption pattern in the near future.