Laurel Springs Police

It probably comes as no surprise for parents of "tweens" and teens, but the most popular type of beverage for young people is no longer soda pop but "energy" drinks. The main ingredients include sugar, caffeine, and various herbal supplements that also claim to boost energy or increase alertness. Despite the claims or marketing hype, in reality, the "energy boost" obtained from these drinks is as fleeting as the sugar and caffeine high produced by a double mocha or a can of Mountain Dew.

Since the late 90's when Red Bull was first introduced in the US, energy drink consumption and sales have skyrocketed. Teenagers and young adults are the largest consumer group for these products. One teen survey conducted in 2007 found that 31% of 12-17 yr. olds and 34% of 18-24 yr. olds regularly consume energy drinks. Many companies, including top soft drink manufacturers, also got into the energy drink business as they realized the potential profits involved.

With such a young consumer base, energy drink marketing has focused on youth-related themes. One research group concludes that marketing strategies tap in to teens drive for risk taking, adventure seeking, and rebellion. Names like Cocaine, DareDevil, Bawls, Pimp Juice, Rip It, and Monster Assault seem to fit that mould. The companies sponsor extreme sporting events, concerts, and other teen venues where they give away free samples of their drinks. They also use social networking sites to engage youth on the internet, rather than traditional use of TV, radio, and print media. Obviously, these strategies have been extremely effective.

So what is the real concern here? Although some energy drinks have about the same amount of caffeine as coffee, many of the drinks have considerably more. In fact, there is a very wide range of caffeine content from one product to another. One beverage may contain 100 mg. of caffeine in a 12 oz. serving while another product contains over 500 mg. (Caffeine content in coffee drinks can range from 75 mg in a 12 oz. cappuccino to 250 mg in the same amount of brewed coffee.) Most often, energy drinks are served cold and able to be consumed much faster than a person would sip hot coffee.

The concern is that when young people are drinking these beverages quickly and perhaps one right after the other, the caffeine hits their system all at once and the potential is greater for caffeine intoxication and overdose.   Either one can produce a range of symptoms including increased anxiety, panic attacks, nausea, increased blood pressure, and abnormal heart rhythms. Some cases of caffeine overdose due to excessive intake of energy drinks have required hospitalization. Numerous middle and high schools across the country are reporting negative effects on their students to the point of banning the drinks at school.

Research conducted at the University of Buffalo indicates that youth who are heavy drinkers of energy drinks are also more likely to be inclined toward risk-taking behaviors. The researchers don't claim a "cause and effect" relationship but there is a link between high consumption of the drinks and risky and aggressive behaviors.

If that wasn't enough to be concerned about, enter the alcohol industry! After Red Bull became popular, bartenders began mixing it with vodka and other distilled spirits as was common practice in Europe. Soon, most energy drink companies were promoting the use of their products as mixers for alcoholic drinks and encouraging use throughout the day—"from morning 'pick me-ups' to nightclubbing." Shortly thereafter, a whole separate beverage category of premixed alcoholic energy drinks sprang up. This is actually the source of our biggest concern—alcohol-based energy drinks, in containers that look almost identical to the non-alcoholic version, are being marketed to youthful customers in an almost identical fashion!