60 Mr. McDowell asked the Minister for Health and Children the action he proposes to take arising from the publication of the Report on the Health Effects of Stimulant Drinks by the Food Safety Promotion Board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12551/02]

In November 2000, I requested the Food Safety Promotion Board, FSPB, one of the six North-South Implementation Bodies established under the British-Irish Agreement Act, 1999, to commission independent scientific research into the health effects of stimulant drinks, following concerns about their safety. The FSPB convened an expert committee under the chairmanship of Professor Seán Strain of the University of Ulster at Coleraine, and the recently published report, A Review of the Health Effects of Stimulant Drinks, is the outcome of the committee's deliberations.

In preparation of its report, the stimulant drink committee undertook a review of the current level of research and levels of knowledge pertaining to the health effects of stimulant drinks and their ingredients. It also commissioned a review of the marketing strategies used in the sale of these drinks, established the consumption levels and patterns of intake of 11 to 35 year olds and examined the legislative position in relation to the sale and distribution of stimulant drinks.

The report is a comprehensive document which will prove to be a valuable contribution to the ongoing international research in this matter. The report has also been forwarded to the European Commission for consideration. A number of recommendations are made in the report relating to areas such as labelling, population groups for special consideration, circumstances under which stimulant drinks are consumed, marketing, and further research. These recommendations are currently under consideration in my Department.