What Are The Dangers Of Caffeine-Laden “Energy Drinks?”

It’s caffeine, a common ingredient in soft drinks, chocolate and, of course, coffee and tea.

Adults generally consume it as a pick-me-up during the day. But now that so-called energy drinks are on the market, teens have started to pick up the habit of using – and abusing – the beverages, which contain a lot more of the substance than may be good for them.

Everyone knows about the awakening effects of the drug. But do you or your kids know about the potential side effects?

Taking too high a dose can lead to anxiety, headaches, sleeplessness and the jitters. And stopping once you’ve gotten used to it can actually cause withdrawal symptoms that can lead to those same headaches, muscle pain, irritability and even temporary depression. As if adolescence weren’t hard enough.

But the real danger comes when the drinks are mixed with alcohol at parties. 

The combination of a stimulant (caffeine) with a depressant (alcohol) can be a recipe for trouble. Despite their liquid form, the energy drinks can actually lead to dehydration, a danger in places that may already be hot and enclosed.

Health Canada actually has four reported cases of teens either mixing the substances with booze or simply taking too many of them in a row. Among the consequences:

•  Electrolyte disturbances 
•  Nausea and vomiting 
•  Heart irregularities.

Red Bull remains the only so-called energy drink labeled as a health product in Canada. But there are others on the market and they all have similar effects.

The government health department has some things you should be aware of if you regularly imbibe:

• Red Bull Energy Drink should be used according to the label instructions.
• Don’t drink excessive amounts of Red Bull. The limit is 500 mL or two cans a day, as indicated on the product label. 
• Don’t mix Red Bull with alcohol. 
• If you engage in intense physical activity or exercise, drink enough water to help re-hydrate your system. 
• The safety profiles of other similar “energy drinks” haven’t been evaluated by Health Canada. It’s not wise to drink excessive amounts of any “energy drink” or to mix them with alcohol.

If you have an adverse reaction to an “energy drink”, report it to the Canadian Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring Program (CADRMP) here or call 1-866-234-2345.

What else contains caffeine?

Unless it’s specifically listed as being free of the stimulant, you’ll find caffeine in the following:

For more on caffeine, click here.

For more on energy drinks, click here.