It’s approaching twelve o’clock, you’re not even half way through your paper, and you still have studying for two tests ahead of you. You can feel yourself crashing; if you don’t act quickly, there’s no way you’ll make it through all your work…so you debate your options. You’re against turning to Adderall as a study aid, so do you go for the typical cup of coffee, or choose to load up on caffeinated soda and sugary food? What about an energy drink?
With college kids needing a quick way to stay up late and power through their homework, energy drinks have become increasingly popular. Through easy accessibility and smart advertising, drinks like Monster and 5 Hour Energy draw many young, easily swayed adolescents in. Bringing in about twenty billion dollars a year, these energy drink companies market their products as dietary supplements; thus, they get away easily when it comes to safety requirements that soda manufacturers are subject to. Despite being marketed as harmless, many questions have been brought up in the past few weeks as to the serious effects these drinks have, and whether the FDA should play a stronger role in caffeine regulation.
Per serving, a standard caffeinated energy drink contains around 160 to 500 mg of caffeine—while a 12-ounce soda contains only 71 mg. Think 5 Hour Energy is healthier because of its smaller size? Well college students, think twice- one 5 Hour Energy is equal in caffeine to two cups of coffee. With such high caffeine intake, teenagers are likely to face high risks, or even death. In October, five deaths were caused by consumption of Monster; last December, a 14-year-old girl died of cardiac arrhythmia due to high levels of caffeine, after consuming two Monsters. This past month, a reported thirteen deaths were linked to 5 Hour Energy- thirteen deaths from that one small bottle.
So why have so many serious incidents come about from these toxic drinks? A majority of energy drink companies don’t list the amount of caffeine on the label of their beverages, driving teenagers to chug multiple bottles in the hopes of getting a stronger result. With a drink like 5 Hour Energy, teenagers perceive it to be less effective due to its size, yet the small volume of the drink leads to a higher caffeine concentration, thus making it more harmful than drinks like Monster, or the fan favorite, Red Bull.
Choosing an energy drink as a study aid over Adderall may seem like a smart, healthier choice, yet you’re putting your body at an even greater harm. What drink is worth risking your life? Is staying up all night to study for a test worth hospitalizing yourself? Whether you consume energy drinks or not, just remember to be safe, and know that over-consumption will backfire.