Health researchers have linked risky behavior among teenagers and young adults to super-caffeinated energy drinks such as Red Bull, Redline, Monster, Spike Shooter, Full Throttle, and Amp. Approximately one-third of 12- to 24-year-olds say they regularly down energy drinks, accounting for over $3 billion in annual sales in the United States. Nationwide, these drinks have […]
Health researchers have linked risky behavior among teenagers and young adults to <"https://www.yourlawyer.com/practice_areas/product_liability">super-caffeinated energy drinks such as Red Bull, Redline, Monster, Spike Shooter, Full Throttle, and Amp. Approximately one-third of 12- to 24-year-olds say they regularly down energy drinks, accounting for over $3 billion in annual sales in the United States. Nationwide, these drinks have been linked with reports of nausea, abnormal heart rhythms, and emergency room visits and have been a source of increased concern among health researchers and school officials. Worse, emerging research suggests the drinks are connected with risk taking.
Last year, in Colorado Springs, several high school students became ill after drinking Spike Shooter—a high-caffeine drink—which resulted in the principal banning the drink. In March, four Broward County, Florida middle school students ended up in the emergency room with heart palpitations and sweating after drinking Redline, another energy drink. And, this month in Tigard, Oregon, teachers sent parents Emails alerting them that students who brought energy drinks to school were “literally drunk on a caffeine buzz or falling off a caffeine crash.â€
In March, The Journal of American College Health published a report on the link between energy drinks, athletics, and risky behavior. Kathleen Miller, the author and an addiction researcher at the University of Buffalo, says the link suggests increased consumption of energy drinks is associated with “toxic jock†behavior, a collection of risky and aggressive behaviors that include unprotected sex, substance abuse, and violence. While the finding does not point to the drinks causing bad behaviors; however, the data does suggest regular consumption of energy drinks should be something parents look at as their children may be more likely to take risks with their health and safety. “It appears the kids who are heavily into drinking energy drinks are more likely to be the ones who are inclined toward taking risks,†Miller said.
Craig Stevens, a spokesman for the American Beverage Association said, “The intended audience is adults.â€Â That the marketing is meant for “people who can actually afford the two or three bucks to buy the products.â€
The drinks include a variety of ingredients in different combinations such as plant-based stimulants like guarana; herbs like ginkgo and ginseng; sugar; amino acids, including taurine, and vitamins. The drinks’ main active ingredient is caffeine which varies. For instance, a 12-ounce serving of Amp contains 107 milligrams of caffeine, compared with 34 to 38 milligrams for the same amount of Coca-Cola or Pepsi.  Monster contains 120 milligrams and Red Bull, 116. Spike Shooter contains 428 milligrams of caffeine in 12 ounces; Wired X344 contains 258.
One concern is that because they are served cold, they may be consumed in larger amounts and more quickly than hot beverages. Also, the drinks have become popular mixers for alcohol and the addition of caffeine can make alcohol users feel less drunk, even though motor coordination and visual reaction time are as impaired as when alcohol is drunk alone, according to an April 2006 study in the medical journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
