As a motorsport fan, I couldn't help seeing a link between that legal "move" and the deep involvement the company recently showed in french motorsport activity (Renault F1 partnership, hiring of S.Bourdais at STR, and title sponsoring of the Citroën WRC team). Especially as the decision has been taken by the Ministry of Finances (probably supported by the prime minister, who's a fervent motorsport addict btw) against the advice of the French Food Sanitary's Security Agency, which say Red Bull drink is assimilable to a doping product.
Actually those guys are unhappy with one of the composants, called "Taurine" (supposedly the main active substance of the dring), because of "indesirable neuro-behavioral effects", without more precision (apart a vague report mentining test-rats biting off their own anterior limbes).
They also regret that despite RB officialy advise against blending whith alcohol, the popular usage is to mix it with vodka and other alcolised products and/or drugs.
In the end the Red Bull company modified the composition of the drink for the first time of its history, replacing Taurine with Arginine, another aminated acid naturally present in human organism, pretended to have the exact same properties, which is yet to prove.
Cafein levels remains the same however, and the company ensures that taste hasn't changed too.
I haven't tested this modified version yet, but I once drank a lot of the original one(something like a 6 can pack in the afternoon) during a travel to Austria organised by school when I was 14, and curiously felt no effect at all... Actually I remember sleeping like a sleepyhead, despite meeting a terribly charming blond girl in the evening.
Not so much exiting effect if you ask me...That lead me to being quite skeptikal over the fuss made by those french authorities. From your own experiences, would you say that it is a potentially dangerous drink, really? Or is there some unpalpable marketing/commercial dispute behind the scene?
There could be such interests conflicts IMO, since the "energy drink" market has exploded lately (Coca-cola zero, Dark dog etc). Maybe Red Bull had to "fill the right pockets", for the doors of french market to open...
Ive never heard of caffeine causing any one to fall asleep either