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Energy Drinks
http://www.childrens-mercy.org/Content/uploadedFiles/Sept._Oct.Vol.10.pdf
General: Energy drinks are heavily caffeinated products purported to supply mental and physical stimulation for a short time.
Description: The primary ingredients are usually caffeine, taurine (an amino acid), and glucuronolactone (a carbohydrate). Energy drinks may also contain guarana (a South African plant that supplies a caffeine-like substance), other stimulants such as ginseng and various other amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and herbs.
Street Names: Monster Energy, Red Bull, Amp Energy, Full Throttle, and Rockstar.
Side Effects: Teens often do not realize how much caffeine they are drinking, and many teenagers do not know how easy it is to become dependent on caffeine. Many adults who become used to drinking coffee every day and then do not drink it for a day will experience withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches, mood swings, and trouble concentrating. Some people are more sensitive to stimulants than others, so some teens may get a bad case of the jitters from very little caffeine. Other negative effects may include anxiety, panic attacks, increased blood pressure, increased gastric acid, and bowel irritability. Of course, teens who use energy drinks too late in the evening may discover the insomnia effects of the caffeine-containing drinks.
The newer trend of the energy drinks that contain alcohol (alcopops) poses additional concern and risks. Since the drinks contain caffeine, which is a stimulant, and alcohol, which is a depressant, teens that drink alcopops may not feel the full effects of alcohol. Feeling tired or groggy signals to many who drink alcohol that they have had enough, but with the stimulation of the caffeine, one may not have this same feeling. Even though one may feel alert, the blood alcohol concentration is the same, and after the stimulant effect is worn off, alcohol will remain in the system. This feeling of being alert may lure teens into driving or other risky behaviors. If the alcohol volume is excessive, alcohol poisoning can lead to respiratory depression or respiratory arrest.
Statistics: According to the Marin Institute, teenagers and young adults spent almost $3.6 billion on heavily caffeinated drinks in 2006.
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