Category: Odd + Funny Author : Duncan Riley Posted: May 25, 2009
Tags : Germany, redbull, redbull cocaine
Any regular drinker of Red Bull knows that the stuff is addictive, but apparently it’s not just the caffeine that’s causing addiction.
Authorities in the German states of Hesse and North-Rhine Westphalia have banned Red Bull Cola (a cola flavored version of Red Bull) after testing found that one ingredient not disclosed on the side of the can was cocaine.
Unfortunately for people looking for a legal high, the amount of cocaine is so small that it doesn’t pose any health risk (well, as long as you don’t drink two dozen a day), but likewise is not a permitted ingredient under local law.
According to local reports, the cocaine comes from a process of de-cocainized extract of coca leaf in the drink, which despite its name, doesn’t actually take all the cocaine out. The process also means that Red Bull Cola has to be classified as a narcotic and needs a special license for sale.
Red Bull protested the decision, saying that Red Bull Cola had been deemed safe by the EU and the United States, and that it’s not as though anyone is getting high of the cocaine in each can. No, as most people know, you need to add Vodka for that to happen 
May 25, 2009
I knew it!
May 25, 2009
Most folks have no idea what are the ingredients in their energy drinks. No do they have any idea just how much caffeine they consume — because caffeine is in everything! Besides coffee and energy drinks, caffeine is in cold medicine, gum, candy bars and even potato chips! Ethic Soup blog has an excellent series of concise and informative articles on caffeine ( including “caffeine intoxication) at:
http://www.ethicsoup.com/caffeine-the-worlds-mo…
May 26, 2009
Seriously? You would expect something like this to happen in Cuba. Way to go Red bull for unintentionally intentionally harming your consumers like how it happens here http://tinyurl.com/5c9elh. Enjoy the withdrawal symptoms Germany.
May 27, 2009
This article is a bit misleading, read this for the whole story, not a paraphrased snip.
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1…
May 27, 2009
shit man, i drink that stuff like every day.
May 27, 2009
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 U.S. and Europe.” It said similar coca leaf extracts are used worldwide as flavoring, and a test it commissioned itself found no cocaine traces.
May 27, 2009
As was stated, read the text more carefully. It's not Red Bull itself, it's the Red Bull Cola flavored. Don't freak.
May 27, 2009
Oh my god Chris, relax. Red Bull are not “intentionally harming” their customers. The amount contained is so small that it poses no health risk.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25539509-1… states that 'Samples of the popular drink examined by the German food authorities were found to contain 0.4 micrograms of cocaine per litre.'
Banning the products is just a stupid overreaction. It's not even 0.4 micrograms PER CAN it's per litre. And besides, if you cared about your health you probably wouldn't drink red bull cola, now would you? God. Everyone stop getting so hysterical and enjoy your cocaine!
May 27, 2009
before we pass judgments on cocaine and the stuff they put it into, I would like to see the whole German dental industry remove Novocaine from its list of drugs used in anesthetizing their patients as thats made in part from cocaine, for shame germany
May 27, 2009
idiots!
red bull energy drink doesn't have any cocaine in it.
you got your facts wrong.
red bull energy drink isn't brown and doesn't even have any cocoa nut in it.
IDIOTS!
May 27, 2009
The color of a substance is not a good way to detect chemicals. The amount of cocaine added is likely so small it doesn't affect the color significantly. .4 micrograms of cocaine per litre equates to about 0.00000004%. This is the equivalent of adding a gram of Kool-Aid mix to an Olympic-size swimming pool. The color change would be nonexistent. Anyway, cocaine comes from the leaf, not the nut; you are the one who got your facts wrong. As a final note, cocaine in its chemical form is white, so your argument is completely invalid.
May 27, 2009
i call bullshit. but i guess it must be true if its on the net
May 27, 2009
red bull cola isn't an energy drink
it's just a cola made by red bull, with less caffeine than diet coke.
Also made with real sugar, which is neat.
Try it, its delicious.
May 27, 2009
red bull cola tastes gross anyway… coca leaves dont have any narcotic side effects in their natural state. idk what germany is fussing about, peruvians drink freaking coca tea
May 27, 2009
they arent even talking about the energy drink either… they are talking about new “red bull cola” which is a cola drink made from 100% natural products.
May 27, 2009
you like to watch gay porn.
must be true if it's on the internet.
May 27, 2009
“Red Bull Cola” you writer hack. Your Editor has already sold their soul. Take some ground and get the facts straight.
May 27, 2009
Nonsense.
May 27, 2009
Perhaps, like, dude, you´re like such an idiot. Why not read Lee's link above?
May 28, 2009
what a load of bollocks
May 28, 2009
Why add it at all? Ask yourself that. I don't buy the line that it's for flavoring, it must have an addictive quality, without the other effects, or else they wouldn't going out of thier way to add it (and then keep it off the list of ingrediants).
May 29, 2009
It's just poison! Very toxic shit!
May 29, 2009
Red Bull rocks! Now I love it even more!
May 30, 2009
Misleading story title, the cola contains trace amounts of cocaine (.13 micrograms [there are 1 million micrograms in a gram, in case you don't understand the metric system]), not Red Bull itself.
Jun 3, 2009
its coca leafs they didnt add the bad stuff thats in cocaine like gasoline coca leafs are harmless. they just give u energy.