Health Energy drinks linked to risky behavior among teenagers

[The Helper]

Health researchers have identified a surprising new predictor for risky behavior among teenagers and young adults: the energy drink.

Super-caffeinated energy drinks, with names like Red Bull, Monster, Full Throttle and Amp, have surged in popularity in the past decade. About a third of 12- to 24-year-olds say they regularly down energy drinks, which account for more than $3 billion in annual sales in the United States.

The trend has been the source of growing concern among health researchers and school officials. Around the country, the drinks have been linked with reports of nausea, abnormal heart rhythms and emergency room visits.

In Colorado Springs, several high school students last year became ill after drinking Spike Shooter, a high caffeine drink, prompting the principal to ban the beverages. In March, four middle school students in Broward County, Florida, went to the emergency room with heart palpitations and sweating after drinking the energy beverage Redline. In Tigard, Oregon, teachers this month sent parents e-mail alerting them that students who brought energy drinks to school were "literally drunk on a caffeine buzz or falling off a caffeine crash."

New research suggests the drinks are associated with a health issue far more worrisome than the jittery effects of caffeine — risk taking.

Read the whole article here.

 

[BANANAMAN]

No more red bull....ever

 

[Cornface]

Time to cut down on the red bulls for the LANs. :thdown:

 

[Sim]

These things will all be banned one day I swear.

 

[turok255]

im glad i only drink milk / water and sometimes rootbeer

 

[esb]

I personally think all this is stupid. SOME people (not all) do and may get sick or other side effects from the drink, but come on, a handful of people out of ALL the people that drink it?
I'm not saying you should drink it everyday, or that it's healthy, but it's just not right for some people.

Consider Vaccines, it kills 5 in 1 million because the body can't handle it, yet it saves the rest from a possible disease.

Why not drink at your own risk?

 

[Sim]

> Consider Vaccines, it kills 5 in 1 million because the body can't handle it, yet it saves the rest from a possible disease.

But the other 4 999 995 benefit from the vaccine.

I wouldn't say drinking energy drinks benefits that good of a ratio of people among those who drink them, particularly those who do so very often.

Without mentionning the fact that one could never drink just 1 of those, or any coffee whatsoever, in his entire life and live easily without it. The human body doesn't need it.

Good luck resisting Hepatite without a vaccine if you're unlucky enough to contract it.

 

[ReVolver]

But isn't the main source of energy drinks caffeine? if so.. why haven't they banned coffee or tea /ect?

I think it's just like cigarettes/alcohol, smoke/drink at your own will.

BTW here is a nice resource if you want to know how much caffeine is in your drinks.

http://wilstar.com/caffeine.htm

Red Bull is 80 milligrams
Coffee is 100 milligrams
Monster is 160 milligrams

Usually you can have 200 to 300 milligrams a day, I know this because Monster has a warning label on the side that says "Drink only 1 or 2 a day"

 

[Sim]

> I think it's just like cigarettes/alcohol, smoke/drink at your own will.

You can only smoke and drink if you're old enough. You can "enjoy" energy drinks at any age.

 

[Monovertex]

You can only smoke and drink if you're old enough.

Meh... that if the cops are really enforcing it... not the case in my country .

 

[Lobster]

Ive never had an energy drink, and I heard they taste nasty anyway(not saying they do, but thats what Ive heard)

Anyway, a sugar rush is just as good, and doesnt cause (as much) bodily damage, not the mention candy and sugary stuff tastes good.

however, there is also the crash, which occurs in both sugar and energy drinks.

the point is: sugar has everything energy drinks have, and a good taste.
(except the alchohol thing, but thats not good)(and Im under 21)

 

[Sajberhippie]

Usually you can have 200 to 300 milligrams a day, I know this because Monster has a warning label on the side that says "Drink only 1 or 2 a day"

Nah, I remember there was a study here in Sweden showing that like 20% of the swedes drink 5 or more cups of coffee per day (yes, we drink a lot of coffee here). Actually, I remember reading that the point at which coffeine becomes dangerous to the body normally (that is, in a healthy body) is at about 20 milligrams per kilogram of the person. I weight 85, so before it gets physically harmful would be at 1700 milligrams. That's 10 of those drinks. Of course, if you've got a weak heart or combine them with alcohol or other strong drugs, you've got a problem.

On a side note, this very weekend I actually took a 25 coffeine pills (2500 milligrams) before drinking a lot too much alcohol (stupid yes, but my fiance left me). I didn't die, but the day after, I didn't feel very well. Actually, I literally crawled home XD
People do stupid things, and I'm definately part of people. And part of stupid. ><

 

[TheDamien]

Ive never had an energy drink, and I heard they taste nasty anyway(not saying they do, but thats what Ive heard)

Anyway, a sugar rush is just as good, and doesnt cause (as much) bodily damage, not the mention candy and sugary stuff tastes good.

however, there is also the crash, which occurs in both sugar and energy drinks.

the point is: sugar has everything energy drinks have, and a good taste.
(except the alchohol thing, but thats not good)(and Im under 21)

The idea of a "sugar high" is, although widely believed, a myth.

 

[EatShrooms]

Well if it makes you sick then why keep drinking it? Hey public, let's use some sense for once. Is that too much to ask for? I don't drink coffee cause it screws with my stomach.