The “High” Risk of Energy Drinks

Arria, Amelia M.

doi:10.1001/jama.2011.109

Cited by 166 publications

(125 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…Because of increased feelings of alertness produced by caffeine, subjective estimates of alcohol impairment are typically underestimated, and the perceived rewarding aspects of drinking are enhanced. 5,17,[19][20][21] As such, consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks has been associated with greater risk-taking, impaired driving, higher volumes of alcohol consumption per sitting, increased injury susceptibility and higher rates of alcohol dependence. 1,16,[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] Other health consequences associated…”

Section: 18mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1,[4][5][6][7] Clinical studies have shown that the consumption of energy drinks increases stimulation, attention and memory; decreases reaction times and mental fatigue; and improves performance on some physical activities. [8][9][10] At the same time, these beverages have been associated with negative health effects, including those typically associated with excess caffeine consumption, such as irritability, arrhythmia, nervousness, nausea and seizures.…”

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The consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks: prevalence and key correlates among Canadian high school students

2013

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Research CMAJ OPENT he consumption of energy drinks, beverages that contain moderate to high concentrations of caffeine as well as taurine, herbal supplements, and sugar or sweeteners, has risen steadily in the last decade, 1 with sales surpassing those of many other nonalcoholic beverages in North America.2,3 These beverages have become particularly popular among youth and young adults owing to their purported stimulant effects and ability to increase alertness and enhance mental and physical energy. 1,[4][5][6][7] Clinical studies have shown that the consumption of energy drinks increases stimulation, attention and memory; decreases reaction times and mental fatigue; and improves performance on some physical activities. [8][9][10] At the same time, these beverages have been associated with negative health effects, including those typically associated with excess caffeine consumption, such as irritability, arrhythmia, nervousness, nausea and seizures. 7,[11][12][13][14][15][16] Despite warnings to the contrary, a popular practice among consumers of energy drinks is to mix them with alcohol. 17,18The combined effects of alcohol mixed with caffeine produce varied results on cognitive and motor performance. Because of increased feelings of alertness produced by caffeine, subjective estimates of alcohol impairment are typically underestimated, and the perceived rewarding aspects of drinking are enhanced. 5,17,[19][20][21] As such, consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks has been associated with greater risk-taking, impaired driving, higher volumes of alcohol consumption per sitting, increased injury susceptibility and higher rates of alcohol dependence. 1,16,[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] Other health consequences associatedBackground: An emerging body of research has reported high consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks among young adults, particularly college students. However, little is known about adolescents' consumption of these drinks. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks and to examine its correlates among Canadian high school students. Methods:We used a nationally representative sample of 36 155 Canadian students in grades 7 to 12 who participated in the 2010/2011 Youth Smoking Survey.Results: About 20% of Canadian high school students reported consuming alcohol mixed with energy drinks in the last year, with considerable variation across provinces. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that the odds of consumption of these drinks were higher among students in lower grades (grades 7 and 8) and among students who identified their ethnicity as black or "other." Consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks was positively associated with substance use (current smoking [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1. , absence from school, participation in school team sports and having more weekly spending money. Students who felt more connected to school and had an academic average of 70% or h...

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The consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks: prevalence and key correlates among Canadian high school students

2013

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“…6 The short-and long-term health effects of many of these ingredients, and energy drink consumption in general, are for the most part unknown. 1,[7][8][9] Energy drinks are often aggressively marketed to adolescents through carefully crafted campaigns, including sponsorship of events that appeal to this age group (e.g., snowboarding), and product placement in video games and social media. 4,10,11 Easy access from a convenience store, appealing names (e.g., Red Bull®, Rockstar®, Full Throttle®), product claims of greater stamina, alertness and energy, 12 and perceptions of energy drinks as a "legal drug", 13 make these drinks particularly appealing to adolescents.…”

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Energy Drink Consumption and Associations With Demographic Characteristics, Drug Use and Injury Among Adolescents

Hamilton

Boak

Ilie

et al. 2013

Can J Public Health

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, a 16% increase over the previous year. 2 Caffeine is the primary active ingredient in energy drinks, but the level of caffeine content varies widely across the many brands sold. 1,3 The caffeine content per 250 mL of an energy drink is usually 80-140 mg or the equivalent of two cans of cola or a 6-oz to 8-oz cup of coffee. [3][4][5] There are, however, energy drinks with caffeine content of up to 500 mg per can. 3,4 Additional ingredients include amino acid, vitamins, herbs, and other supplements purported to boost energy, alertness, and mental performance. 6 The short-and long-term health effects of many of these ingredients, and energy drink consumption in general, are for the most part unknown. 1,[7][8][9] Energy drinks are often aggressively marketed to adolescents through carefully crafted campaigns, including sponsorship of events that appeal to this age group (e.g., snowboarding), and product placement in video games and social media. 4,10,11 Easy access from a convenience store, appealing names (e.g., Red Bull®, Rockstar®, Full Throttle®), product claims of greater stamina, alertness and energy, 12 and perceptions of energy drinks as a "legal drug", 13 make these drinks particularly appealing to adolescents. Reports indicate that the main consumers of energy drinks are adolescents and young adults, 6,7 with between 30% and 50% of adolescents and young adults consuming energy drinks. 7,11 Yet, there is relatively little empirical data on the health and behavioural effects of energy drinks. There is research indicating that energy drink consumption helps to improve attention, maintain or improve performance on some difficult activities, and decrease reaction times. 14,15 There is also evidence of adverse consequences such as seizures, difficulty sleeping, cardiac arrhythmia, and even death. 1,6,7 In the US, there was a twofold increase in the number of visits to emergency departments between 2007 (10,068 visits) and 2011 (20,783 visits) that involved energy drinks, with 12-17 year olds accounting for 11.4% and 7.2% of those visits in 2007 and 2011, respectively. 16 In addition to questions about the health effects of energy drinks, there are questions about the demographic, social, and behavioural correlates of energy drink consumption among adolescents. The sparse research that has been conducted suggests that the consumption of energy drinks is correlated with heavy alcohol use, licit and illicit drug use, impulsivity, and risk-taking behaviours, including fighting and risky sexual behaviours. 7,10,[17][18][19] ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: To examine energy drink consumption and its association with demographic characteristics, drug use, and injury among adolescents. METHODS:Data on 4,342 adolescents were derived from the 2011 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey, a province-wide school-based survey of students in grades 7 through 12. The survey was based on a two-stage cluster design and analyses include appropriate adjustments for the complex sample design. RESULTS:Overall, 49.6% of adolescents had ...

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“…Caffeinated beverages are known to cause severe toxicity when consumed in excess [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. Dietary supplements that may contain botanical or synthetic caffeine have also produced toxicity in patients, particularly when multiple caffeinated or other stimulant products are used concomitantly, or when products are used in conjunction with physical exertion [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Retrospective Study of Clinical Effects of Powdered Caffeine Exposures Reported to Three US Poison Control Centers

et al. 2016

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Introduction Anhydrous caffeine, often sold on the Internet as a powdered caffeine product, is sold as "pure caffeine" to be used as an additive to beverages and has also been used as an ingredient in energy supplement products. Methods This is a retrospective multiple-poison center chart review of calls regarding powdered caffeine to poison centers covering Oregon, Alaska, Guam, Washington, and Utah between January 1, 2013 and June 30, 2015.Results There were 40 calls to three poison centers over 30 months for powdered caffeine exposure. The majority of patients were over age 19 (52.5 %; 21/40) and male (70 %; 28/ 40). Sixty percent (24/40) of the patients were symptomatic but only 10 % (4/40) required admission; 52.5 % (21/40) of the patient calls were for inadvertent overdose of powdered caffeine; one patient overdosed in a self-harm attempt. Discussion Powdered caffeine calls to three poison centers during a 30-month study period were rare, and severe caffeine toxicity due to exposure was found in few patients. The majority of symptoms were reported after an inadvertent powdered caffeine overdose. Conclusions An analysis of calls to three poison centers for powdered caffeine found that exposures were uncommon, but did result in toxicity, and highlighted that the lack of clear dosing instructions on product packaging may place patients at risk of inadvertent overdose.

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The “High” Risk of Energy Drinks

Cited by 166 publications

References 10 publications

The consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks: prevalence and key correlates among Canadian high school students

The consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks: prevalence and key correlates among Canadian high school students

Energy Drink Consumption and Associations With Demographic Characteristics, Drug Use and Injury Among Adolescents

A Retrospective Study of Clinical Effects of Powdered Caffeine Exposures Reported to Three US Poison Control Centers

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