From headaches to fatalities, energy drinks continue to cause health problems every year. When energy drinks were first created in 1929, they were used as hospital drinks to help aid in recovery and replenishing fluids. Although originally a good idea, the knowledge of how these drinks affect the human body and recent events leading to the death of a local high school student have changed the views of many Americans to believe that energy drinks should be illegal. 

Besides the known harm that the mixture of caffeine and sugar play on the body including high blood pressure and irritability, there are two other deadly ingredients contained in energy drinks that need to be taken more seriously. First, guarana is a plant that is used as a stimulant. However, when paired with other substances it can be very harmful for the body (“Guarana”). Taurine on the other hand is an amino acid affecting water mineral levels. These two ingredients are not accepted well by the body. Why would someone think it’s a smart idea to put something in their body that it naturally rejects? Ingredient labels are flawed and do not contain information that is vital to users like the harmful effects of these ingredients. Without this knowledge, children, especially, are not aware of what they are putting in their body when they innocently purchase one of these drinks. Some people fight these facts by claiming that coffee has mainly the same ingredients and can cause the same harm. However, people fail to understand the danger of the combination of the stimulants, sugars, and the caffeine levels which is the ultimate producer of harm. For example, gasoline is not dangerous and neither is a small flame, but when combined something very harmful occurs. One misconception is that energy drinks only have negative effects on unhealthy people. However, the effects tend to be the same for active people as well. There was an occurrence where a healthy 28-year-old man went into cardiac arrest after consuming 8 energy drinks within one day in addition to working out. Upon further examination, it was found that the only thing to blame for this was the high levels of caffeine in combination with taurine. Taurine causes arteries to not be able to dilate properly when exercising which led to cardiac arrest in this instance (Howard). This proves that someone’s initial health does not dodge them from receiving the negative side of energy drinks. The caffeine mixed with sugars and other added substances can cause chemical imbalances in the central nervous system as well which is the ultimate root of dizziness, insomnia, headaches, and nervousness. When the caffeine travels through the blood to the brain it aids in energy formation. This process is what makes energy drinks appealing but what users fail to recognize is that once the caffeine is in the bloodstream regularly, the neurotransmitter adenosine becomes dependent on the caffeine which eventually can cause withdrawal effects if not replenished frequently. This chemical reaction alters brain function including memory as well as every day motor functions like driving. Brain function is something that needs true preservation in children which proves how drinking energy drinks can cause long-term damage to the body systems in children. When dealing with children especially, habitual routines are taught every day. The presence of getting into good habits like brushing your teeth before school and making your bed are very effective for children which is why only good habits should be practiced. The addition of energy drinks into a child’s routine will lead to their dependence on it later on with health problems to follow. Dr. Levitt of Akron Children’s Hospital said, “parents and healthcare providers should screen kids, especially teens, for the use of energy drinks and educate them on the health risks” (Spector). By doing this, those less educated on health-related topics can become aware of the proper way to treat their bodies. Another common trend recently among college students, is the combination of energy drinks with alcoholic beverages in things such as Four Loko’s. If the thought of caffeine, sugar, and stimulants sounds terrifying, imagine adding alcohol to that mixture. These alternate forms of energy drinks cause black outs and memory loss frequently which holds extreme long-term damage to the brain. The combination of all the ingredients in energy drinks is not something accepted gratefully by the body which exemplifies why they should not be legal. 

Sadly, the side effects of energy drinks go much further than just ordinary ailments like headaches and nausea. More permanent pains follow every sip of energy drinks including diabetes, obesity, dental problems, and sleep issues (Association Press). Besides painful physical side effects experienced by consumers, more serious consequences take place in the brain and other body systems that are not physically noticeable. Affecting the cardiovascular system, energy drinks increase heart rate, blood pressure, and blood viscosity that ends up leading to formation of blood clots. Side effects including anxiety, vomiting, and insomnia have been reported which affect the neurological and gastrointestinal systems (Peacock). These bad symptoms majorly outweigh the benefits. Energy drinks do not produce the helpful energy which they advertise to do. In fact, they provide short term energy with a major crash, similar to a “sugar high.” In the early 1900’s, the energy drink RadiThor contained real energy in the form of radium. Even such a known damaging substance like radium did not stop people from consuming this drink. Customer Eden Byers, an industrialist and golfer, began drinking RadiThor to heal a broken arm. He became addicted to the drink and advertised it as a true healer. However, the addiction in addition to the effects of radiation on his bones killed him in 1932 (Peacock). This story is an example of how stimulants, such as radium in RadiThor, are extremely addictive and can cause an extremely painful death. This same situation is very realistic in that teenage sports stars who get injured are always looking for a way to treat pain. This type of relief will definitely give them a way out of pain, but not the one they were hoping for. About one in every twenty students come to school every day with an energy drink which is a terrifying reality because of the “drug’s” effect on the student’s ability to concentrate in addition to other effects. A headmaster of a college in Manchester, UK has banned the sale of energy drinks on campus after repeated complaints and requests from staff because of the noticeable effects the ingredients have on the students. Ian Fenn, the headmaster, said “Staff came to me and said – at a school where we are very conscious about the nutritional value of what they eat – we cannot allow boys to bring in drinks that are really unhealthy for them and consume not one, but two or three” (Poulter). This ban of energy drinks at this school is a promising first step in a trend that will hopefully spread throughout the world. Very rarely do people acknowledge that what they eat/ drink in combination with energy drinks is vital as is with anything you consume. When drinking energy drinks without alternating with water, dehydration is caused which leads to sleepiness and lagging pace. Without eating food in correlation, the drinks will irritate the stomach lining like pills do and can cause bonking in sports which is when the body has depleted its glycogen stores in the liver and the muscles which makes a person be hit with a slap of fatigue. In addition to this, the chemistry of metabolizing the ingredients in conjunction with body function needs to be taken into account which is shown by half-life. It takes the body a long time to break down caffeine which shows that if the drink is consumed too quickly, it can cause caffeine toxicity which is why pacing yourself when drinking is extremely important (Robertson). 

The increasing popularity of energy drinks throughout the world is very alarming. In the United Kingdom, the consumption of energy drinks among children has increased by 155% in an 8-year time span (Association Press). The few available studies indicate that in 2015, about 62% of children in grades 7-12 have consumed an energy drink in the past year (Peacock). Hearing those statistics in conjunction to the known addictive nature of this drinks is a frightening thought. It is suggested that an 11-year-old should intake no more than 105mg of caffeine in a day and doses exceeding that could have extremely damaging effects on his or her body. With that said, most energy drinks contain about 160mg of caffeine which is proven to be extremely dangerous levels for children. Doctor Shelina Visram from Durham Univeristy and Kawther Hashem from the charity “Action on Sugar” have been trying to educate parents on the dangerous effects of their children consuming energy drinks (Association Press). Children, especially one’s participating in sports, have become increasingly competitive and will do almost anything to be on top. This is shown by the use of steroids by athletes to improve performance. In relation to this, children perceive energy drinks to have the same effect of making them look “cool” and enhancing their sport abilities. However, it is proven that caffeine does not in fact enhance performance. More effective ways to enhance performance are carbohydrates and proteins which are found in healthy foods. People tend to overlook the long-term dark side of these drinks and focus on the short-term energy boosting qualities. When consuming energy drinks, it is recommended to take only one sip every 20 minutes in combination with water. Also, it is suggested to check the amount of caffeine, serving size, nutrition facts, recommended dose, first ingredient, type of sweetener used, B12 levels, B6 levels, folic acid levels, and niacin levels when purchasing a drink. These facts exemplify how there is a safe way to consume energy drinks in moderation but in no way justifies them as a proper source of energy gaining (Robertson). Most people would agree that the government needs to protect its citizens at all possible costs, which is shown in other countries but is not evident in America for the US Food and Drug Administration’s failure to regulate the production of these drinks. In addition to that, the energy drinks that are approved by the FDA aren’t required to disclose how much caffeine, guarana, taurine, and other added stimulants are included in their drinks. For example, in Australia, there is a 320mg limit for caffeine in drinks but in America there is no caffeine restriction whatsoever (Peacock). Because of this, energy drinks are legally allowed to incorporate as much caffeine, sugar, stimulants, and other addictive qualities that they please. When Coca- Cola was first created, cocaine was an added stimulant but in 1903 it was removed due to federal regulations. If cocaine was removed from Coca- Cola because of the effects of that particular stimulant in combination with the caffeine and sugar, then why are the added stimulants in energy drinks which produce the same effect legal? In similarity to the success of the new warning labels on cigarette containers, energy drink labels should contain warnings of their possible effects. Teenagers are greatly affected by their peers. In the mid- 1900’s many teenagers smoked cigarettes because their peers did. Because of the similar addictive effects, energy drinks should be illegal to adolescents. Without peer influence, children are less likely to feel the desire to participate in these habits. 

Not only are temporary side effects common, but ailments bad enough to cause hospitalization occur as well. There was shown to be over a 400 person increase in hospital visits due to energy drink consumption between 2007-2011 with people between the ages of 12-17. Energy drink companies seem to be un-phased by this evidence, as they continue to spend more and more money each year on advertising. Advertisers spent an increase of $175million dollars between 2010 and 2013 on energy drinks. Along with that, the amount of money gained in revenue by energy drink companies is astonishing which proves their methods are effective, but also catastrophic when looking at the increase in hospitalizations (Horovitz). Devastatingly, on April 26, 2017 a 16-year-old boy from Chapin, SC died suddenly one afternoon during school. At lunch, he had drunken one cup of coffee and a Mountain Dew and very shortly after he consumed a 16-ounce energy drink. Being a kid who never partook in illegal drugs or alcohol, this occurrence was astonishing. After further research, it was concluded that the levels of caffeine in his body is what caused him to fall to his knees during class and pass away. If he had been aware of the consequences of drinking sugar with caffeine and added ingredients contained in energy drinks, he would have never chosen those beverages that day. Unfortunately, energy drink companies fail to inform customers of the negative effects of sugar, caffeine, and added stimulants when combined and instead advertise as to “unleash the beast” with “cool” names such as Monster and Rip It. Some people will argue that shutting down the energy drink industry would cause thousands of people to lose jobs, but has America truly gotten to the point where we are more concerned with jobs than lives? (Spector)

After examining the extensive negative effects energy drinks have on the body and the few, if any, positive effects, it is clear that the combination of ingredients produced in energy drinks are accepted by the human body. There is an extensive list of healthy alternatives to energy drinks including green juices, tea, and smoothies which provide a healthy version of all day energy. Energy drink companies do not think about their audience when producing and promoting their drinks which is a scary thought considering how fast the industry is growing. 
