Michele Farfan 
Energy drinks are popular among teens. Some popular drinks include Celsius, Red Bull, Alani nu, Monster and more. These brands all make different drinks in a variety of flavors that are sweet and taste like candy. The packaging on these drinks are also bright vibrant colors, which gets the attention of young teens. Because of the taste and colors on these drinks, children and teens are often intrigued and lured into buying them. Some of the flavors include cotton candy, peach, Skittles, watermelon and more.
The amount of caffeine in an average energy drink is 200mg. Caffeine is a stimulant found in plants that is added to energy drinks in high amounts. If kids have more than one of these drinks a day they can overdose in caffeine. A caffeine overdose can cause symptoms such as vomiting, rapid breathing and shock. Caffeine can also cause heart problems or worse anxiety. According to Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital in Orlando, Florida “Energy drinks have increasingly become a source of caffeine overdoses, according to a comprehensive study published in Pediatrics. Too much of these stimulants and chemicals can cause dependence, dehydration, insomnia, heart palpitations and/or an increased heart rate in both children and adults. But in children, these symptoms are often even more extreme. Consuming energy drinks has even led to seizures, mania, stroke and death in rare situations.”
Energy drinks can also disrupt teens’ sleep patterns. Since energy drinks disrupt teens’ sleeping patterns they aren’t getting enough sleep and will be even more tired the next day and want another energy drink. This can cause a cycle and eventually teens will find themselves drinking them a lot more than usual.
An STA student revealed their experience with drinking these drinks, “I drink a RedBull every morning before school and sometimes after school so I can have energy to finish my homework but then I started to feel chest pain. I went to the doctor and they suggested I stop drinking Redbull. When I stopped I didn’t feel the chest pain anymore. I am never going to drink a Redbull again because it is not worth the chest pain.” Kids who are unaware of caffeine side effects drink these drinks with no worry but little do they know they can cause serious problems for their health. Parents need to start paying attention to what their kids are drinking and how much caffeine they consume a day. Teens can limit their caffeine intake by going to bed at a reasonable hour and getting at least 8-10 hours of sleep. Eating a good breakfast and eating 3 meals a day with protein can also help keep you awake and have enough energy throughout the day.
