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Red Bull Cola Contains Cocaine, Red Bull Recall in Germany
After a small amount of cocaine was discovered in Red Bull cola sold in Germany the country reacted by issuing a full Red Bull Recall in several states.
Red Bull, the ubiquitous energy drink and cocktail mixer, was banned the German states of Hesse and North-Rhine Westphalia over an unlisted ingredient found in their cola drink: cocaine. Trace amounts of blow were found in samples of the drink during food-safety testing. Now six German states have banned the drink, and a nationwide ban is under consideration.
Apparently, the de-cocainized extract of coca leaf isn't actually de-cocainized after all. Under German law, the drink must now be recategorized as a narcotic, and will require special licensing for sale.
The 'Red Bull coke' as it is now known, is a true blast from the past; the original recipe Coca-Cola, also touted at the time as an energy boosting drink, contained cocaine which is where it got its nickname Coke.
Don't start trying to evaporate your Red Bull and rolling up the twenty-dollar bill just yet, though: there's not enough cocaine present to have a narcotic effect.
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.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (32)
at 15:10 on May 25th, 2009
I wonder if that means you need a prescription for it?:)
at 15:42 on May 25th, 2009
Darn :)
at 16:43 on May 25th, 2009
Never touch the stuff it has not got the buzz that a nice cup of coffee gives me in the morning.
at 17:06 on May 25th, 2009
Thanks for the news, Jordan. I never tried Red Bull, but it is not the first beverage to contain cocaine. My grandmother was addicted to the small bottles of Coke during the 50's and 60's. At one time Coca-Cola had approx. 9mg of cocaine per glass and was intended as a patent medicine when it was invented in the late 19th century, according to Wikipedia
at 20:54 on May 30th, 2009
Coke removed cocaine from it's products in 1903 because of the of the availability of soft drink to children, also with the coming of the pure food and drug act of 1906. Products had to list there ingredients on the labels which was not done before 1906. Before this there were no laws regulating what you could put in a bottle and sell, that is why some people made millions in the patent medicine trade.But when the government started regulating this stuff it was the end of the hey day for snake oil salesmen. As far as your grandmother being addicted to Coke in the 50s and 60s it was most likely the sugar she was addicted to.
at 00:33 on May 26th, 2009
I think Coca Cola was once accused of that as well or maybe it was just another urban legged.
Well, Cocaine would make sense it does give people a buzz in deed, I just wonder if it would make those that consume it addictive.
Now they may have to offer dettox therapies since it is banned. :)
at 18:16 on May 25th, 2009
I just showed this to a young man who came in to visit my son. He said when he used to work at a Citgo, there were people who came in to buy Red Bulls every single night. The customers said they just had to have their Red Bulls. He was not surprised to hear the beverage may have cocaine in it. He said another product his customers felt that way about is a pill called Stamina X.
at 23:15 on May 30th, 2009
It does not contain cocaine itself! It only contain cocaine alkaloid which doesnt have any effects or addiction atall, no matter how much they have those stuff. But caffine is addictive!
at 18:47 on May 25th, 2009
Once again, Dave Chappelle proves that he was way ahead of his time.
at 20:52 on May 25th, 2009
That is a great video. :)
at 21:45 on May 25th, 2009
lol lol choke splutter
at 07:54 on June 11th, 2009
its like cocain in a can baby hahahahaha awwww funny shit
at 22:31 on May 25th, 2009
ha!
at 23:03 on May 25th, 2009
Ho ho, Bull is out from the can. Well it is a really shocked to see a famous brand getting caught for these things. Thanks for sharing this important story.
at 05:31 on May 26th, 2009
It's good for people with health conditions to know about this.
at 07:39 on May 26th, 2009
This is sort of odd.
My daughter brought me back some coca leaf tea bags from Peru. She had no trouble bringing it through customs. It didn't even give you any sort of buzz. I don't know what the big deal is that it might have some coca leaf extract in it.
You can't get high from coca unless you synthesize it and that sort of cocaine would be too expensive to put in the Red Bull.
I think this is a marketing ploy by Red Bull to increase sales, lol.
at 07:47 on May 26th, 2009
The article states Cocaine though and not Coca leaf extract, wish is the synthesized form of the plant.
I do not think they would make such a fuss for Coca leafs since those are not outlawed, nor is the cola nut.
at 07:58 on May 26th, 2009
Germany is just saying that don't want ANY part of the coca leaf extract in the drink, I believe. At least that's how I read it. The writers are sort of sensationalizing it using the word cocaine. It doesn't have any REAL cocaine in it.
at 08:10 on May 26th, 2009
No, the Government issue is clear, I just check the Rheinland Westphalen Government issue. "The [Health Institute in the state of North Rhine Westphalia] examined Red Bull Cola in an elaborate chemical process and found traces of cocaine," They do mean Cocaine! Not Cola nor Coca leaf extract.Nothing is sensationalized here by the press.Further the Government would not likely make such a statement had they not made certain first that this is true and not a mistake.
at 03:15 on May 30th, 2009
But, the cost of making "real" cocaine would be cost prohibitive. Something isn't right here...can you post the link?
at 09:23 on May 26th, 2009
Nothing new take a look at this photo Taken in luxor.
http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=867322928371394099&postID=6507424214944583375
at 10:51 on May 26th, 2009
time magazine reported it's red bull cola, not regular red bull, that contains COCA LEAVES, not cocaine. and they said something about drinking 12,000 L to feel (what they called) "negative" side effects. i mean i drink red bull, we all got habits. so who knows.
at 17:32 on May 26th, 2009
Do you guys think they should ban it? Let your voice be heard. redbullcocaine.com
at 23:02 on May 26th, 2009
I think caffeine is worse for people than ingredient in coca leaves. I have some coca leaf tea and I feel nothing when I drink it. Caffeine is stronger in my opinion. People have been drinking and chewing coca for centuries. It's only when it's chemically synthesized into potent cocaine is when it's harmful.
I think they should sell the leave for tea all over the world. Then maybe it would get the cocaine off the market and give the natives another income.
Coca leaves are harmless.
at 06:49 on May 27th, 2009
ITS RED BULL COLA NOT RED BULL ENERGY DRINK!!!
at 07:54 on May 27th, 2009
Well, if it's Red Bull Cola and not the Energy Drink, then the photo is wrong...
at 15:02 on May 27th, 2009
I wonder will Germany ban all types of Red Bull or just the cola.
at 10:09 on May 29th, 2009
Will it cause you to fail a drug test?
at 16:05 on June 1st, 2009
wow... i hear on the radio a week ago that red bull contains .4 of a g of cocaine in each can...thats a pretty big line of coke... here we say that its not enough to give you that high... im not a cocaine user... ive had 3 lines in my life and that was years ago.. im 27.. been drinking red bull since it came out on the shelves... i drink 2 cans a day atleast 5 times a week... on the radio it says that you shouldn't take more then 1 can a week... this is very confusing! and i admit i am addicted to it... ive tried to not drink it... im very good at not being addicted to drugs... tried various drugs and was able to not get addicted.... but this fucking red bull..... i agree to calling it *crack in a can* because its really hard to not have that craving for it... i keep thinking it will eventually kill me... we all gona die sooner or later...
i need rehab... like strapped to a bed or something lol so i cant buy it anymore
at 05:17 on June 2nd, 2009
haha, Metahdone is an optiate! lol Not a narcotic! lol Totally different class of drugs! haha But you know, that might bring on a good high! An opiate energy drink! haha MMMMMMM Methadone is a hellova drug! haha lmao And the comment bellow. .4 G's of cocaine! WOOOOOWEEEE!!! If only!! Shoot, I would drink them and skip mixing the redbull with vodka if that was the case. It's an alkaloid. A derivative of Coaca. lol