Energy drinks have been popular ever since Red Bull, the current leading brand, hit shelves in 1987.
Since then, their popularity has only grown, with brands like Monster, Rockstar and Celsius all offering consumers energy in a can or a bottle.
But the bottom line is teenagers should not be drinking them.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 30%-50% of adolescents report consuming energy drinks with 31% of teens drinking them at least once per week. About 30% of energy drink consumers are teens.
Many students consume energy drinks to boost their energy levels for late night studying or staying awake in class. Energy drinks do this because they contain caffeine, which stimulates the brain and nervous system.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that adults consume no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine daily, while the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) suggests people between the ages of 12 and 18 consume no more than 100 milligrams daily.
A 16-ounce can of Red Bull, Monster or Rockstar contains 160 milligrams of caffeine, almost the same as five cans of Coca Cola and significantly more than the 100 milligrams suggested by the AACAP.
Despite its prevalence among teens, regular energy drink consumption has been linked to multiple negative side effects, including high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, increased stress and insomnia.
America’s Poison Centers reports a 24.2% increase for children and teens going to the hospital for caffeine-related ailments. Similarly, a study by Epic Research found emergency department cases relating to caffeine overdose among middle schoolers doubled between 2017 and 2023.
Since at least 2007, adolescents under 19 have consistently accounted for half of all caffeine overdose cases, despite having lower rates of caffeine consumption than older age groups.
Caffeine overdose can be a serious threat, as was the case for Anais Fournier, a high school freshman who died in 2011 of cardiac arrhythmia induced by caffeine overdose brought on by drinking two 24-ounce energy drinks.
The effects of caffeine on the cardiovascular system has been widely studied. According to Harvard Medical School, people can experience elevated blood pressure and abnormal activity in the heart hours after consuming energy drinks.
Among youth consumers, insomnia, stress and depression were the most observed side effects. High levels of caffeine consumption can even cause seizures, inflammation of blood vessels near the brain and spinal cord and manic psychosis.
To make matters worse, caffeine is an inherently addictive substance and the body eventually builds up resistance and dependence on caffeine, meaning regular consumers will eventually need larger doses to achieve the same effect, and experience withdrawal symptoms 18-24 hours after stopping.
Though energy drink companies claim their advertising doesn’t target adolescents, a 2014 study found 70.1% of Canadians aged 12-24 thought they were targeted by the ads they viewed.
Energy drinks can provide students with a boost in productivity but at a great price.
Despite their supposed effectiveness, energy drinks are not designed for and should not be regularly consumed by teenagers.
