Energy drinks are very popular among teenagers, who use them to combat fatigue and enhance concentration during exam time, increase their sports performance, or mix them with alcohol on nights out. They are promoted as refreshing drinks intended to improve physical endurance, energy and a sense of well-being, and “contain a mixture of compounds including caffeine, glocuronolactone and vitamins. Some attribute their stimulating properties to amino acids such as taurine, or to their content in herbal extracts such as ginseng or guarana, and in some cases minerals, inositol and carnitine are added1-”, point out from the Spanish Observatory of Drugs and Addictions. of the Ministry of Health.
However, there has been warning about the risks associated with their consumption for some time, and from this same observatory they warn that they have important impacts on the brain and metabolism and that “regular intake of energy drinks has been associated with caffeine overdose, hypertension, bone loss and osteoporosis. Side effects resulting from regular consumption include palpitations, insomnia, nausea, vomiting and frequent urination.
Adolescents are one of the groups that consume the most energy drinks. Data from the latest Survey on Alcohol and Drugs in Secondary Education in Spain (ESTUDES) reveal that 37.7% of 12 and 13 year old students in 1st and 2nd year of ESO have consumed energy drinks (Red Bull, Burn, Monster, Coca-Cola Energy, etc.) in the last 30 days; consumption approximately ten points lower than that of students aged 14 to 18, which confirms that, as the age of the students increases, the consumption of this type of beverage also increases, reaching its maximum prevalence in the 18-year-olds with consumption close to 50%.
Regarding the consumption of energy drinks mixed with alcohol in the last 30 days, its prevalence reaches 10.2%, compared to almost double that obtained for students between 14 and 18 years old (19.5%) and higher rates are also confirmed. consumption as the age of the students increases. Taking into account the differences by sex, it is observed that the consumption of both energy drinks alone and mixed with alcohol is higher among men than among women in both age groups.
Abuse of caffeine and other stimulants included in energy drinks
Excess caffeine can cause everything from sleep disturbances to psychological, emotional and behavioral disorders and cardiovascular problems, but, in addition, energy drinks can generate physical dependence and tolerance to caffeine, so that the dose needs to be increased to obtain the benefits. same effects.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has determined that a safe dose of caffeine is up to 200 mg per dose, which is equivalent to about 3 mg per kilogram of body weight for adults (non-pregnant) and minors. For example, for a teenager weighing 50 kg, the maximum safe dose would be 150 mg.
However, many energy drinks available on the market contain amounts of caffeine that equal or exceed 150 mg per container. This has been pointed out by the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU), which has reviewed the caffeine levels indicated on the labels of these drinks. For OCU, calculating the caffeine content in 100 ml of beverage does not present problems. But the situation changes when you consider the amount of caffeine per serving size. “If a can is taken as a single serving and many of these cans are 500 ml, the caffeine concentrations double, which for a teenager means a considerable dose of caffeine,” the organization warns.
In addition to caffeine, these drinks usually contain other stimulant substances such as taurine, L-carnitine or glucoronolactone and, frequently, high levels of sugar.
Specifically, there are at least 9 energy drinks that equal or exceed the maximum amount of caffeine recommended for teenagers. Drinks with more than 150 mg of caffeine for a 50 kg teenager are:
- ‘Reign Melon Manía’ (500 ml container), with 200 mg of caffeine
- ‘Nocco Juicy Melba’ (330 ml container), with 181.5 mg of caffeine
- ‘Monster Energy’ (500 ml container), with 160 mg of caffeine;
- ‘Monster Juiced Monster’ (500 ml container), with 160 mg of caffeine;
- ‘Energy drink’, from Mercadona (500 ml container), with 160 mg of caffeine;
- ‘Furious Energy Drink’, from Mercadona (500 ml container), with 160 mg of caffeine;
- ‘Burn Original’ (500 ml container), with 160 mg of caffeine;
- ‘Rockstart Original No sugar’ (500 ml container), with 155 mg of caffeine;
- ‘PepsiCo Energy Drink Original’ (500 ml container), with 155 mg of caffeine.
Increased risk of alcohol and drug abuse and poorer academic results
In addition to caffeine, these drinks often contain other stimulant substances such as taurine, L-carnitine or glucoronolactone, the concentrations of which are not always detailed on the label, along with a variety of additives and, often, high levels of sugar. Mixing energy drinks with alcohol is even more alarming because it can lead to more extensive and prolonged alcohol consumption, because the stimulating effects of these drinks reduce the feeling of tiredness and help you stay awake, which often produces a state of ‘completely lucid drunkenness’, which increases health risks.
The prevalence of energy drink consumption in the last month is higher among those who have consumed other psychoactive substances (alcohol, tobacco and other illegal substances) in the same period or have engaged in risky patterns (binge drinking). In this sense, it stands out how widespread the consumption of energy drinks is among those who have consumed cannabis in the last month (37.1%), among those who have gotten drunk (32.9%) and among those who have binged drinking (26.4%).
Regarding the sociodemographic characteristics of those students who have consumed energy drinks in the last 30 days, it is observed that students who have drunk energy drinks get worse grades on average, repeat more courses or fail more than the rest of the students who have not. consumed these in the last month. These differences are even greater in those students who have consumed energy drinks mixed with alcohol.
Risk of mixing energy drinks with pink cocaine
The police are investigating the death of a 14-year-old boy that occurred last Friday, February 16, in Getafe (Madrid), allegedly after ingesting the contents of a can of Red Bull with two grams of so-called pink cocaine or tusi. The fateful outcome occurred around 10 pm in front of the Los Espartales metro station, where the victim and two friends had met other young people on Instagram. At first it was said that these people had secretly put the drug in the drink, but another version, based on the story of his friends, indicates that Ryan took the drug voluntarily.
The risks associated with the growing consumption of energy drinks in the adolescent population led last December to the Institutional Commission for Food Safety, with the participation of the Autonomous Communities, the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (Aesan) and the General Directorate of Health Public Ministry of Health, already proposed by Aragón, to agree to form a working group to evaluate the risks associated with energy drinks and consider possible regulations on their sale to minors.
