ENERGY DRINKS: The legal drugs our kids are taking
Would you be appalled to learn that a powerful drug is available over-the-counter in the U.S. to children as young as four years old? Would you be angry to learn this drug is not regulated by the USFDA and is part of a multi-billion dollar industry that markets to our children?
Background
Energy drinks, which were introduced in the 1960s, now line our shelves with more than 500 brands on the market today. The industry has exploded from $4 million annual sales and marketing in 2002 to $10 billion today.
Delivery methods include drinks, patches (think nicotine), flavored chews (think chewing tobacco), powders that are marketed as drink additives (including to alcohol) or to be inhaled (think cocaine). One brand of the powdered additive ('Blow') has even gone as far as packaging its products in glass vials that come replete with a mirror and 'credit card' to mimic drug paraphernalia and delivery. Another brand has actually named its product 'Cocaine'. The emulation of drug culture is blatant, all the while being marketed to 12-30 year-old males.
As part of the culture of extreme sports enthusiasts like skateboarders, energy drink consumption was associated with measures of masculinity and risk taking behaviors among 795 undergraduates in a survey (Miller, 2008). They also claim to promote academic boosts, weight loss and sports performance. A new market target is young figure-conscious females, complete with feminine pink promotions and sugar-free products. Alcohol recipes are included with these drinks.
Most shocking is the latest target market for these billion dollar companies is the 4-11 year-olds. These products are being promoted to parents who are encouraged to give them to young children who are engaged in sports activities. As it is, a child typically ingests about 45 mg of caffeine a day from chocolate milk, candy, and colas. This product contains 60 mg of caffeine, and while we haven't ever tested the effects of caffeine on children this young, common sense dictates these children will suffer the same side effects as adults, and from much smaller amounts.
Energy drinks have been banned in many countries including France and Denmark and others, such as Norway and Canada, permit sales only through pharmacies, and require warning labels regarding high caffeine content or use with alcohol. And where are they available in the US? Energy drinks are readily available, regardless of age, in convenience stores, supermarkets, in checkout lines, gas stations, and even from vending machines in our schools. Some of today's energy drinks even contain alcohol and are sold over the counter to minors.
Where's the FDA?
The US Food and Drug Administration limits the amount of caffeine in soft drinks, however, by claiming energy drinks fall under the classification of supplements, manufacturers have been able to avoid FDA scrutiny. In comparison these products contain 90-500 mg of caffeine per serving while an average 8 oz. drink contains as much caffeine as seven cups of coffee or 14 cans of cola! And strikingly, an over-the-counter medication containing 100 mg of caffeine must include a long list of FDA warnings; while a 500 mg energy drink doesn't even have to list caffeine information on the label.
In the US nutritional supplements are not regulated the by FDA. The FDA has no control over many of the ingredients in energy drinks, and as such, the American public cannot be assured of their safety, or of the growing conditions of herbs. What pesticides are used to fertilize them? Is contaminated water used to grow them? Under what controls are they harvested?
The caffeine in these products can come from synthetic sources or natural form, for which the dangers of high consumption are well documented. However, many of the other ingredients listed on their labels have either not been well researched, or have been linked to health hazards such as:
- Yerba mate-has been associated with cancers, including mouth, esophagus and lungs. Smoking in combination with yerba mate appears to greatly increase the risk of cancer and it is recommended that we avoid the use of this supplement which is commonly included in the mix of ingredients.
- Bitter orange-contains the chemical synephrine which is similar to the main chemical in ephedra. The USFDA has banned ephedra which raises blood pressure and is linked to heart attacks and strokes.
- ginko-can cause headaches, nausea, diarrhea, and increased bleeding.
General warnings for many of the ingredients listed in energy drinks are that people taking medications (notably those used to treat ADHD, birth control pills, asthma and allergy medications, and blood pressure and heart medications), or suffering from kidney problems or psychiatric conditions should not take these supplements at all. And, many of us who are accustomed to taking vitamin supplements may not realize that the higher levels of vitamins found in energy drinks can also create health risks which include nerve damage to the arms and legs.
Side Effects and Consequences
Among known side effects attributed to caffeine toxicity are: tremors, impaired sleep, tachycardia, fainting, seizures, panic attacks, high blood pressure, diarrhea, strain on the kidneys, dehydration, decrease in bone mass, mania, stroke, and even documented cases of death. Caffeine withdrawal, familiar to anyone who has tried to eliminate their morning coffee, has been documented for more than a century in more than 66 studies in medical literature. And the high sugar content in energy drinks leads to weight gain, obesity, diabetes and increased tooth decay.
Young college athletes who have unwittingly bought in to the professed 'performance benefits' of these drinks have been sorely disappointed when drug testing identifies banned substances from the drinks in their urine and they are mandated to sit out from their sport for 365 days. Athletic scholarships are yanked and dreams are dashed, and these young people are left confused and frustrated, having been ignorant of all the additives in the drinks.
Someone who has been mixing energy drinks and alcohol can't easily be identified as drunk because the stimulant effect changes the appearance and actions of a person who has been drinking alcohol. A person who is legally drunk with all the impairments of alcohol, can wind up engaging in high risk behaviors, including driving. And since they aren't easily identified as being drunk, their companions are more likely to get into a car with them. Unfortunately, risky sexual activity, often attributed to alcohol consumption, is part of the mix of alcohol and energy drinks.
The Gathering Storm
Medical doctors, educators, sleep specialists and researchers are lending their voices to the growing objections to the use of energy drinks and the demand for regulation. Among them are The American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Federation of State High School Associations and the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee and the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
People often look for a quick fix, whether for weight loss, academic performance, or athletic achievement. The reality is energy drinks have already been proven dangerous to our health and are considered a gateway to other drug use. Just as with many other mood enhancing drugs, greater amounts must be used as the body becomes inured to a specific dosage.
What is clear is that AFTER 20 YEARS OF STUDY OF ENERGY DRINKS, NONE OF THE CLAIMS HAVE PROVEN TO HAVE ANY BENEFICIAL EFFECTS ON THE BODY.
Maryann Birmingham, Cornell Cooperative Extension Community Nutrition Educator, lends her voice to the objections to the use of energy drinks. Birmingham recommends a healthy lifestyle which includes the proper amount of sleep for your age and physical condition, eating a healthy diet that includes the spectrum of vegetables, fruits and legumes, and incorporating physical activity into your daily routine. And for hydration? Whether for a high-performance athlete or a student hitting the books, the best drink for hydration is...water.
To add your voice to those of parents and educators who are concerned about the availability and consumption of energy drinks to our youth, contact your local schools and political representatives.
www.healthnetwork.org
ods.od.nih.gov/
www.aap.org
www.nfhs.org
www.youthsportsny.org
A segment on the proposed legislation aired on News 4 on December 7, 2010. Click the link below to see the video.
Download a brochure about the hazards of Energy Drinks here.
