Energy Drinks Are Evil

Waking up after eight hours of sleep and still feeling the urge for another six hours of sleep is why most people drink a cup of coffee first thing in the morning. Coffee has been the popular choice among society for centuries because of the almost instant energy rush it gives you. This comes from caffeine which can be found in many forms of liquid beverages. Some of these beverages are called energy drinks and their popularity is growing rapidly. Energy drinks are making their way in societies daily lives.

Whereas they give you a energy boost to get you through a long day, energy drinks are dangerous and should be made illegal given that they have caused serious health issues

Energy drinks are extremely high concentrate caffeine source that contains a sugar loaded syrup which can contain typically 80 to 140 mg of caffeine in each 250 ml which is the same as a cup of coffee or two cans of soda pop.

There have even been companies that have developed an energy drink that consist of caffeine concentrate with levels is high as 500 mg per drink . The caffeine in these drinks has the ability to increase a person’s production of adrenaline which then raise your heart rate, improves your awareness, and has the ability to increase the production of dopamine which has a direct effect on your state of mind (Robertson). When caffeine is taken in small doses it has the ability to refine a person’s mood as well as their alertness, but the problem with this is that caffeine has the tendency to wear off and when that happens society normally reaches for more because once the caffeine wears off the “afternoon crash” as it’s called makes you feel worse than when you started(Robertson).

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Considering energy drinks have more caffeine than coffee they are what is the popular choice.

Some even say that these tasty sugars infused, caffeine laced drinks might be considered as a drug. Canada has even taken steps to put major restriction on energy drinks. America needs to follow Canada’s example and make energy drinks illegal. Energy drinks are being related too many health issues one of which is dental erosion. High erosive problems come from energy drinks because they show pH balance that was extremely acidic (Pinto). Energy drinks are another form of soft drinks but with additive vitamins and other chemicals to help boost energy but have a high erosive potential as well leading to dentine hypersensitivity (Pinto). When a person consumes energy drinks the acid remains on their teeth destroying their enamel and it is very unlikely that teeth are being brushed immediately after and that can lead to erosion(Pinto ). Consumption of energy drinks can do irreversible damage to your teeth which can lead to painful and expensive trips to the dentist or even loss of teeth which is reason enough to not drink them.

Some of society may try to argue that caffeine has been safely consumed for centuries, however,caffeine levels are much higher then what most are aware of which is why marketing of energy drinks is significantly different from the marketing of other caffeinated drink (MacDonald). It is reported that energy drink companies have a tendency of directing their marketing towards children and teens by precisely picking advertising companies and they do this by sponsoring such events as skateboarding competitions and snowboarding events (MacDonald). The X Games are known for having many sponsors such as Red Bull or Monster. Children and teens watch these games and see their favorite athletes all decked out in their energy drink paraphernalia and it makes them want to run out to the store and purchase energy drinks, so they can be like their favorite athlete. Today’s youth is very influenced by sports personalities, so energy drink companies use that to their advantage to market towards children and teens which needs to stop because we do not need our youth all wired on caffeine products in order to get through their daily life.

The youth of today should not be expected to make proper choices regarding drinking energy drinks especially when there are not any caffeine levels or safety precautions visible on the can (MacDonald). According to the article “Caffeinating children and youth”, the author states “Children and Youth are notorious for making poor health choices” (MacDonald). The youth of today are determined to have what is cool regardless of the consequences. The mall is one location that our youth hang out at and is also a location where these energy drinks are being sold in vending machines where they are able to access them at their will. This is very dangerous for because it allows the adolescents to purchase as many of these energy drinks as they would like which can contain as much as 500mg of caffeine per can which is way more energy than any youth should need (MacDonald). The open availability of energy drinks to children needs to be stopped because it can lead to overconsumption which can turn deadly and that is why it should be made illegal.

Do children really need more energy? That is very doubtful considering they are young and vital though children as young as eight or nine are consuming these high caffeine sugar lace energy drinks on daily basis (Robertson). This makes a person wonder why a child would need to consume energy drinks to achieve extra energy that increases the heart rate and awareness. Could it be a sign of something going on in the house or is it just an effect of drinking too many energy drinks and not being able to sleep at night which is causing them to be groggy the next day leading to consumption of more energy drinks and this becomes a repetitive pattern which is very unhealthy for our youth (Robertson). This is a pattern that leads to overconsumption which causes sleeplessness that can result in seizures and compounds the situation (Robertson). Today’s adolescent is not aware that most energy drinks come in a two-serving size can which means they’re getting double of what the can says they are because they’re not understanding the ingredients and serving size properly (Robertson).

This is dangerous because it’s hard to imagine a child only drinking half a can, so they are unaware of exactly how much caffeine is being consumed in their body. Energy drinks are different from soda pop because of the double added caffeine content that is deceitful on the labels and another reason energy drinks should be made illegal. Another aspect of energy drink being involved with our adolescence comes in the form of sports. Athletes have marketed sports drinks such as Gatorade is a performance-enhancing product. Energy drinks are now also being marketed as a performing enhancing product for athletes even though is a different product altogether. Sports drinks like Gatorade were designed to replenish your body of hydration while doing physical activity (NFHS). This drink consists of six to eight percent carbohydrate solution and a mixture of electrolytes which are designed to maximize absorption of fluids (HFHS). Energy drinks have an additive that sports drinks do not which is caffeine and its dosage levels are very high. It is easy to misunderstand the differences between the two which is dangerous for ones health.

Because energy drink companies are intentionally marketing to our youth they can get an added advantage in sporting competitions. According to the article “Caffeine and Sports Performance,” the author states “caffeine use may also enhance the performance of sports and recreation athletes” (Burke). When an athlete consumes a caffeine-infused drink just before a sporting event it gives them an added advantage over the other athletes that are working off pure adrenaline. Caffeine can increase the heart rate allowing the athlete to have an added edge because it is being consumed as an ergogenic aid (Burke). It is hardly fair for young athletes to have an advantage over their opponents because it is unsportsmanlike and teaches our youth that it is okay to take shortcuts instead of putting in the blood, sweat and tears that is involved with being in sports. According to the article “Caffeine and Sports Performance,” the author states “caffeine use also enhance the performance of sports and recreation athletes but is an inappropriate and unnecessary for used by any young adult”(Burke).

There are many adolescents involved in sports and because they have the ability to go to any gas station or mall and buy energy drinks out of vending machines they are being allowed to have the unfair advantage over their opponents. By making energy drinks illegal it will stop this from happening and take away their ability to purchase performance-enhancing products before competition and not being able to purchase these drinks would force athletes to rely on hard work which teaches them positive sportsmanship. Another negative issue surrounding energy drinks is that they have found their way into are young adults’ colleges and universities. College students are using energy drinks as a way to stay up all night writing papers or cramming for finals. College students our focus on success but are putting themselves at risk by trying to achieve this.

Since energy drink makers are not regulated on the amount of caffeine that they put in their drinks college students are unaware of how much caffeine they are consuming and putting them at risk issues for such issues as agitation and also could cause potential psychological problems.  Energy drinks have additives that can be addictive, so it is important to keep them away from college students said that they don’t get addicted to them and use them as a vice to be successful. The way to do this is by making them illegal so that not even college students are allowed to purchase them because not only are college students using them as a vice to stay awake longer they are also now being mixed with alcohol which is led to a whole other set of problems. Another problem with energy drinks is that college students are now mixing them with alcohol. Mixing alcohol and energy drinks is a way to be fully awake and drunk at the same time. It is all the rage amongst college students but is also leading to destructive and risk-taking.

According to research done by Midwestern State University, 75% of students have admitted to drinking a combination of alcohol in a drink at some point in their life and 65% of them have confessed to doing so in the past year (Borchardt). This risky behavior is leading to college students to get behind the wheel and drive after consuming alcohol-infused energy drinks because they feel alert enough to drive but don’t comprehend that they are too drunk to (Borchardt). Another problem with mixing alcohol and energy drinks is the risk-taking behavior that leads to self-injury or injury of others and also has led to becoming a victim sexual assault. According to the survey at Midwestern State University both men and women have admitted to being victims of unwanted sexual assaults after consuming a mixture of alcohol and energy drinks (Borchardt).

Another aspect of risk-taking behavior is having unprotected sex while under the influence of alcohol-infused energy drinks, again both men and women have an admitted to unprotected sex while under the influence of these drinks which put them at risk for STDs (Borchardt). Because energy drinks can cause so much damage to our college students they need to not be accessible to them.  Making them illegal will not give them access to them in essence will help protect them from themselves allowing America’s future leaders to not depend on an ergogenic aid to get through life. In conclusion, even though energy drinks can help with a quick energy boost when you are feeling drained, the long-term effects it has on you are detrimental to your health and is putting our youth at risk by teaching them hazardous life coping mechanisms. Making energy drinks illegal will help alleviate our nation from being exposed to product that are detrimental to one’s health to survive throughout a normal day.

Works Cited

1. Borchardt, Jamie. ‘Alcohol and energy drinks among the college population.’ Journal of Alcohol & Drug Education, vol. 60, no. 3, 2016, p. 16+. Science In Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A477460343/SCIC?u=cclc_clovis&sid=SCIC&xid=a225272b. Accessed 26 Sept. 2018.
2. Burke, Louise M. “Caffeine and Sports Performance.” Applied Physiology, Nutrition & Metabolism, vol. 33, no. 6, Dec. 2008, pp. 1319–1334. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1139/H08-130.
3. MacDonald, Noni, et al. ”Caffeinating’ children and youth.’ CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal, 19 Oct. 2010, p. 1597. Science In Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A239530335/SCIC?u=cclc_clovis&sid=SCIC&xid=5882e440. Accessed 26 Sept. 2018.
4. National Federation of State High School Associations, Sports Medicine Advisory Committee. ‘Position Statement and Recommendations for the Use of Energy Drinks by Young Athletes.’ National Federation of State High School Associations, Oct. 2014, www.nfhs.org/media/1014749/nfhs-smac-position-statement-for-use-of-energy-drinks-october-2014.pdf. Accessed 26 Sept. 2018.
5. Pinto, Shelon CS, et al. ‘Erosive potential of energy drinks on the dentine surface.’ BMC Research Notes, vol. 6, no. 1, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A534787157/OVIC?u=cclc_clovis&sid=OVIC&xid=4734d3c1. Accessed 26 Sept. 2018.
6. Robertson, Bill. ‘Q: what do energy drinks do to your body?’ Science and Children, Dec. 2013, p. 72+. Science In Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A350787586/SCIC?u=cclc_clovis&sid=SCIC&xid=65df7edb. Accessed 26 Sept. 2018.