“But when we checked, it turned out they had been using a sweetened energy drink sold online as an ‘ORS substitute’. The child’s condition worsened instead of improving.”Gupta added that blood tests in such cases often show dangerously low sodium and high sugar levels. No energy or sports drink can replace true ORS.” “When parents walk into a pharmacy looking for ORS, they trust the product to save their child’s life. Around eight years ago, many children’s conditions worsened due to this ORS, though fortunately, no deaths were directly linked then. The court granted temporary relief, allowing companies to sell their current stock, but stopped the production of new sugary drinks labelled as ORS.

Source: The Times October 22, 2025 21:23 UTC