An Open Letter to Starbucks

Dear Sirs,

 

Why is there caffeine in your frozen lemonades?

 

Did I miss it all these years where caffeine was a natural part of lemonade? Sugar, sure. But caffeine? I was pretty sure that wasn’t a part of the equation. Even the add ins for your pineapple passion fruit version of the drink – dried pineapples and strawberry puree – don’t sound like they should add in the 50 milligrams of caffeine for a grande (medium) that your online nutrition facts say that the drink has.

 

Fifty milligrams, by the way, is more than a 12 ounce can of Diet Pepsi (35 mg). I guess I should be glad, it’s still less than a Red Bull (111 mg) or Monster (86 mg).

 

Why do I bring this up? Well, first off, it’s personal. I, along with many (many) other Americans, have been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. And one of the big things that cardiologists tell you to do when you have AFib is to cut back on (or, preferably, cut out) caffeine. I started dialing back my intake of caffeine until I had my stroke, and then I just stopped drinking diet colas in general.

 

But secondly, have you noticed an uptick of otherwise seemingly healthy people having more issues than they have in the past? Senator John Fetterman had his stroke not long after I did. I’ve had other friends who have had brushes with similar issues. And Bronny James and his cardiac event? Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if he has had his share of your drinks (along with other energy drinks) in his lifetime.

 

Look, I get it – it’s not your job to police what we put in our bodies. But let’s face it, you have families lining up to get drinks from your establishment. I’ve seen kids as young as 8 (probably younger) walking out with the calorie bomb Frappuccinos you sell, most of which are loaded down with enough caffeine to replace an energy drink.

 

But selling a frozen lemonade doesn’t need to be one of those drinks, does it? I mean, lemonade is lemon juice, water, and sugar (or other sweetener), right? On a hot day, a frozen treat like that should be refreshing – not something that gets us a caffeine fix.

 

Anyway, thanks.