The constant Red Bull car visits, TikToks encouraging all-nighters and endless new brands are feeding into teens’ and young adults’ addiction to energy drinks.
As much as these flavored drinks provide a quick sugar high and concentration due to the heavy pounding of one’s heart, energy drinks have negative, long-lasting effects on a developing body.
I first noticed the rise of colorful, caffeinated drinks and the downfall of bitter Starbucks frappuccinos during my junior prom. My friend and I were planning to stay up all night. She was already four Red Bulls in, and it wasn’t even 3 a.m., while I drank only half a can — about 40 mg of caffeine or equivalent to a cup of green tea.
I went to bed at around 4 a.m., and my heart was still pounding in my ears. I thought I was going to die in my sleep as I remembered the presentations we were shown in middle school on the detrimental effects of energy drinks.
Miraculously, I survived the night. To my surprise, so did my friend, who ended up drinking seven that night.
According to the American Heart Association, 90% of adults start their day with some form of caffeine. The FDA recommends 400 mg a day as a healthy dose of caffeine for adults, equal to about two to three 12-fluid-ounce cups of coffee. This dose is typically not associated with negative effects, so it’s safe to shoot for that dosage daily.
The issue arises when teenagers and children start consuming these drinks.
Joanne Slavin, professor in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota, said energy drinks aren’t regulated.
“For kids, yeah, I am worried,” Slavin said, “It’s never been tested (on kids), and, for anyone with an existing health issue, I would not recommend it…it’s really not necessary.”
Caffeine is found in many natural foods such as coffee, chocolate and tea. Slavin said finding the right dose in natural foods is harder to measure. Additionally, people’s caffeine metabolism is different, similar to alcohol intake. A line can’t explicitly be drawn for people under 18 when metabolism, heart health, health issues and genetics are involved.
Dakota Flanery, a first-year student at the University, used to drink Bubbl’rs every day in high school. When she entered college, she started drinking less caffeine and experienced withdrawal symptoms.
“I’ve found it really takes on you like a drug,” Flanery said. “I’d get caffeine headaches, and then I was realizing my body was very much dependent on the caffeine.”
Flanery referenced the Panera Bread supercharged lemonade, a heavily caffeinated lemonade that killed a 21-year-old woman after she consumed it.
According to the lawsuit from the woman’s parents, the woman had a pre-existing heart condition, but the restaurant chain wasn’t transparent about the drink’s caffeine content. Panera said the caffeine content in a 30-oz cup is equivalent to its Dark Roast Coffee, which is 390 mg. The lemonade is also mixed “in-house” by employees, so the caffeine content is inconsistent.
If artificially caffeinated lemonade can be inconsistent, who’s to say energy drinks aren’t?
Caffeine studies are typically done through natural foods and drinks. Coffee is a natural source of caffeine; the Ghost Energy X Sour Patch Kids can in your fridge is not.
I’ve noticed energy drink brands try to attract consumers by prioritizing plant-based ingredients. Plant extracts aren’t as commonly tested for natural caffeine, Slavin said. Common plant extracts like guarana, a native plant of Brazil used as a stimulant, are treated more as herbal supplements in the health world. Because of this, its caffeine content is often not listed on the nutrition label.
“The dose makes the poison,” Slavin said.
Slavin said most medicinal drugs produced are made from plant extracts, reminding me of why I initially wanted to write this story. When I walk into the Dinkytown Target, the first thing I notice is the cooler wall of canned and bottled drinks.
It’s hard to miss it. The entrance directs you immediately to the grab-and-go wall of different drinks, including every energy drink imaginable. There are so many flavors and brands to choose from. Students slip past me, grabbing two or three cans for the road, mumbling about midterms and exams on their way to the checkout counter. Others just got off of work, rubbing their eyes as they contemplate their poison for the night.
It looked like a wall of vapes, the scene resembling moths to a deadly flame. If you’re looking to pick up a quick energy drink on your way to class, this is the place to be.
“Do people really depend on these to get through the day?” was all I could think.
Third-year student Lynniah Weddington said energy drinks exist to help people get through everyday life and obligations. Although neutral on the topic, Weddington said school and work schedules make it hard to stay focused throughout the day. Sipping an energy drink helps her finish tasks.
“I think it’s definitely dangerous when you get to younger people under 18 who like drinking them,” Weddington said. “But I’d then ask, ‘Well, why do they feel the need to drink it?’ Is the amount of work they’re putting on people too much to where they have to rely on energy drinks or a 5-hour ENERGY to stay up and meet obligations?”
The number of teenagers, and even middle schoolers, depending on energy drinks astonishes me.
When I graduated high school in 2023, Bubbl’r and Alani Nu had just become popular among my peers. The junior high girls were beginning to dabble in the hype, especially after Bubbl’r started recruiting athletes to be ambassadors. After that, I’d see posts of my high school volleyball team posing with Bubbl’rs in hand.
Many students have noticed negative effects from their caffeine consumption. Jitters, sporadic concentration and insomnia have been reported by people between the ages of 18 and 22, according to the American Heart Association. High doses of caffeine can cause anxiety, raised blood pressure and heart palpitations.
For those who consume caffeine daily, withdrawal symptoms like headaches, fatigue and depressed moods can occur. Not to forget long-term effects like heart, liver and kidney damage, Slavin said.
So why do young people continue to reach for the can when they know the damage it’s causing?
“There are so many other things that I do, like diet and exercise, that probably have a positive long-term effect on my health too,” Weddington said. “I think that’s what other college students would say as well.”
I don’t blame you fellow students who need pick-me-ups throughout the week. I’m an occasional coffee drinker when a busy day or long night catches up to me.
It’s normal to need a little stimulation, but people should understand the consequences of constantly incorporating sugary, aesthetically-pleasing drinks into their diet.
Perhaps the workforce and school scheduling is the real issue, but that’s an argument for another time. If you want some energy, getting plenty of sleep, eating routine meals and staying hydrated can fuel your body and keep it trucking in the long run, Slavin said.
Remember to stay healthy and take care of yourselves as finals season approaches.