Caffeine has always been consumed, commonly in coffee or tea, but in recent years, the intake of caffeine through energy drinks has risen significantly. Regardless of the source, caffeine comes with many health issues and is addictive, like dehydration or insomnia. Students ignore the high concerns about energy drinks due to their positive factors outweighing the negatives.

“I feel more energized and it gives me more energy throughout the day,” sophomore Sydney Meadows said.

Energy drinks, compared to coffee, contain more caffeine per serving, increasing the effect of feeling more alert. However, when too much caffeine is consumed, health problems arise. Most are ignorant to these warnings as advertisements and product design encourage low to no sugar, high in vitamins, and gluten free. These may be true, but less commonly seen are the warnings towards younger children or limits on their serving consumption. 

“The effects that I think of when I’m drinking an energy drink is a heart attack and that I’m more shaky,” freshman Payton Lockhart said.

Students ignore the consequences for the immediate fix to their short term problems. According to the National Institutes of Health, students or adolescents, are linked to a large variety of health worries like anxiety, tachycardia, seizures, and stroke, with the more concerning being cardiovascular complications and even death. Additionally, they have stated that ingredients have been shown as safe to kids, but when over-consumed, they create heart, mind, and other predicaments.

“My favorite energy drinks are Alanis, specifically Witches Brew and Cotton Candy,” senior Carly McDermott said. “I think it’s 200mg to 300mg of caffeine per Alani, and a cup of coffee is normally 100mg.”

A way these companies can get their consumers to avoid their miniscule warnings and latent concerns is to portray an eye-catching and tasty drink. Alani is a popular energy drink brand that also sells protein bars, protein drinks, and fitness supplements. They brand their products as improving the user’s fitness, making it “fun” and eye-catching with their bright colors and wild designs. “Feel-good fuel” is Alani’s slogan for their energy drinks. The first thing eyes are drawn to on the can itself is their brand name, 0g of sugar, and 200mg of caffeine. All these words promote Alani’s business of making energy drinks for good fitness, health, and better taste. 

“I drink like one energy drink every day, sometimes two a day,” McDermott said. “They just taste so good!”

Many drinks other than Alani, including Bloom, Celsius, Monster, and Red Bull, enhance their taste to encourage their consumers to continue to buy and drink more. Regardless of the underlying issues when consuming the drinks, the companies want more people to buy their product for their gain and not the health of individuals no matter what they promote their drink to do.

I used to drink energy drinks daily, sometimes multiple a day. Willingly ignorant to their addictive side and concealed troubles, I enjoyed the sweetness and boost of immediate energy during early mornings. However, when I felt my heart beat faster and my hands shake, I understood why these drinks contain warnings and why others told me the unhealthiness of them. 

“I have been told it raises the chances of heart attacks and it makes your stress a bit higher and there’s other stuff, of course,” Meadows said. “I like the energy it provides.” 

Over the past year, those drinks consumed and controlled my life. Now seeing younger students and friends drink these “healthy” drinks I worry for their future and well-being. I wanted to inform young individuals of what they are putting into their bodies and other ways to avoid these issues while still gaining the positives. 

“Besides energy drinks, an alternative that I would consume, caffeine wise, would be coffee,” McDermott said.

Coffee is a more natural source of energy for younger children to drink in moderation. Not only are the servings of caffeine significantly less, but the taste can be just as good and healthy. Other difficulties can be solved outside of drinks, vitamins and a better routine are non drink alternatives for students to use to obtain energy, physicality, and a better mood. Energy drinks don’t consider your future health, focus on yourself and make choices to better your life.