The Standing Committee on Social Development will hold its second hearing on the health risks of energy drinks on Tuesday, June 2 in Charlottetown.
The Committee was mandated by the Legislative Assembly in November 2008 to consult with Islanders regarding the health risks of high energy drinks, while seeking direction on possible restrictions on the sale of these drinks.
The Committee advertised for submissions several times throughout the winter and held a meeting in early March to hear from interested individuals and groups. “We only had two organizations register to appear before the Committee and we met with both groups at the beginning of March,” Chair Janice Sherry noted this week. “However in the ensuing weeks, several other groups came forward and expressed an interest in presenting to the Committee on the issue of energy drinks.”
The Committee submitted an interim report to the Legislative Assembly in April and agreed to continue the Committee’s review of the health risks of energy drinks once the Spring session ended.
Sherry expects next week’s meeting to be the final one on the issue. “We were mandated to solicit the views of Islanders and we felt it was important to hold one more meeting to accommodate those who were unable to attend the Committee’s meeting in March. And I certainly encourage anyone else who may wish to address the Committee on this issue to contact the Committee Clerk to have their names added to the agenda for next week’s meeting.”
The Committee’s meeting in Charlottetown will begin at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2 in the Pope Room of the Coles Building. The Committee will also continue to accept written submissions on the health risks of energy drinks until June 30.
For more information, please contact the Committee Clerk of the Legislative Assembly at 620-3764 or visit the Legislative Assembly’s website at www.assembly.pe.ca.