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In response to Monster's reaction that it does not believe it's products are. "in any way responsible." for the girl's death nor is the company aware of, "any fatality anywhere," caused by its energy drinks, in December 2012, Chicago Health Committee Chairman George Cardenas, from the city's 12th district, proposed the bill that minors be banned from purchasing energy drinks, remarking that, "It's irresponsible for Monster to just flat-out say, 'We have nothing to do with it. Our product is 100 percent OK.' They're not even saying they could do a better job of labeling,"3. Arguing that his intention to propose a ban was to raise the industry's attention and educate parents and young people about the potential dangers, not to enact an actual law, according to Chicago Sun-Times, Cardenas told, "There are some concessions on the table: Better labeling. Better consumer information on these products. Caffeine content that's disclosed an not hidden under another name. The rest of the industry is saying that they can better standardize consumer information. For Monster to say that's no even on the table is irresponsible," 4.
However, Alderman Edward Burke – the city's longest serving and, "most powerful Council member," – wielded a bigger stick in opposition to energy drinks. In January 2013, he proposed a law that would ban the sale and distribution of highly caffeinated beverages to all consumers, not just minors. While citing an increase in emergency room visits for teenagers and young adults who consume energy drinks and also the rising popularity of those beverages, his ordinance states, "No person shall sell, give away, barter, exchange or otherwise furnish any energy drink," defined as, "a canned or bottled beverage which contains an amount of caffeine exceeding or equal to 180 milligrams-per-container and containing Taurine or Guarana.
