There has been a lot of confusion among the general public about how healthy energy drinks really are. Many consumers fear that some energy drink firms are not properly advertising the risks which may be associated with their products which can lead to serious health problems. These concerns are justified as shown in a report for MedScape Today by Laird Harrison "Surge Reported in Energy Drink Emergency Department Visits."
According to a report from the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) the number of emergency department visits associated with nonalcohol energy drinks is surging. There were 1,128 such visits recorded in 2005, with 13,114 such visits recorded in 2009, with the highest number occurring in 2008 (16,055). The highest number was in 2008 with 16,055 such visits. The data have not yet been made available for 2010. SAMHSA administrator Pamela S. Hyde has said in a press release "Energy drinks used in excess or in combination with alcohol or drugs can pose a serious health risk."
Energy drinks are defined by SAMHSA as flavored beverages which contain high amounts of stimulants such as caffeine. Energy drinks are marketed to youth and are consumed by up to 50% of children, adolescents, and young adults. This report, which is entitled Emergency Department Visits Involving Energy Drinks, is based on data from SAMHSA's 2005 to 2009 Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) reports. DAWN is a public health surveillance system which closely monitors drug-related hospital emergency department visits reported in the United States. In the report it was found that in 44% of emergency department visits involving energy drinks, the drinks were taken together with other substances, such as alcohol, pharmaceuticals, and illicit drugs.
The problem of a combination of energy drinks and other substances of abuse was found to be greatest in young adults 18 to 25 years of age (52%). According to the report the vast majority (77%) of emergency department visits involving energy drinks were made by people 18 to 39 years of age, and 64% were made by males. Energy-drink-related emergency department visits by males were twice as likely as those visits involving females to include the use of alcohol (20% vs 10%) or illicit drugs (12% vs 5%). Furthermore, female visits to emergency departments were more likely than male visits to involve the combined use of energy drinks and pharmaceuticals (35% vs 24%).
It has been found in studies that caffeine intake from energy drinks can cause adverse reactions, including arrhythmias, hypertension, and dehydration. And combining energy drinks with substances of abuse increases the risk for serious, even life-threatening, injury and for the likelihood of engaging in risky behaviors, such as driving under the influence. So you should be very careful about the consumption of energy drinks by you and your kids.
