City sues Monster: The city attorney of San Francisco is suing Monster Beverage for marketing its energy drinks to children. The city attorney who is suing Monster claims that Monster's products pose severe health risks, particularly to children.

Last week, Monster sued San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera due to his demands that Monster reduce caffeine levels in its drinks and stop marketing to children. Herrera said Monday in a statement that Monster is the "industry's worst offender" for targeting children and youth.

Monster and other popular energy drinks, which include Red Bull and 5-Hour Energy shots, were becoming exponentially more popular, but under the last year, they have faced intense scrutiny by lawmakers and private citizens.

Two Democratic senators, Richard Durbin of Illinois and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, have repeatedly called on the FDA to investigate the safety of energy beverages for children. This summer, New York's attorney general subpoenaed Monster and other energy drink makers regarding how their drinks are made and marketed.

The family of a 14-year-old Maryland girl who alleges their daughter died after consuming two 24-ounce cans of Monster has also filed a lawsuit against Monster. The company defended itself by pointing out that a blood test to confirm that the girl died of caffeine toxicity was never performed.

Talks between Herrera's office and Monster began in October, and the suit is the result of the breakdown of these talks. "Our lawsuit is not a reaction to their lawsuit," Herrera said in an interview. "We were proceeding on this path in the event that we would be unable to come to a resolution."

Monster claims its drinks are safe, under the provision that they are not recommended to pregnant or nursing women, children, or people sensitive to caffeine.  Yet despite these admissions, Herrera points out that Monster explicitly markets its products heavily to children. Herrera noted the "Monster Army" website run by the company, which features very young children enthusiastically promoting the beverages. Monster also sponsors youth sports tournaments.

Heerra's lawsuit notes that Monster promotes extreme, rapid consumption of its beverages with slogans to "pound down" or "chug down" the drinks. While Monster's labels ask consumers to limit themselves to three 16-ounce cans daily, this is still nearly five times the maximum daily caffeine limit the FDA recommends for children.