Top 15+ Energy Drink Dangers



The dangers associated with energy drinks are getting a lot of bad press because of the sheer volume of energy stimulating products in the marketplace and the ease of access to these by minors.

While most energy drinks don’t have as much caffeine as a Starbucks’ coffee, they are heavily sweetened, have a host of other ingredients, and are easy to drink which appeals more to the younger demographic.

Therefore, we are seeing increased incidents of those 18 and younger having dangerous side effects from consuming too many energy drinks at one time. We are also seeing health ramifications from consuming too many energy drinks daily over an extended period of time.

15 Possible Dangers of Consuming Energy Drinks

Despite these serious dangers, quitting caffeine is often easier said than done.

Due to the addictive nature of caffeine exacerbated by anxiety and lack of sleep, actually quitting caffeine can be a nightmare.

World Health Organization’s Warning

The World Health Organization (WHO) just released a warning letter concerning the dangers energy drinks pose to young people, especially since they found 68% of adolescents consume them.

To reduce energy drink dangers, the recommend the following to government agencies:

Establish an upper caffeine limit on all products.

Enforce labeling requirements and sales restrictions to minors.

Enforce regulation of the industry to responsibly market their products.

Train health care workers to recognize and treat overdose from energy drinks.

Screen patients with a history of substance abuse for heavy consumption of energy drinks.

Educate the public about the dangers of mixing energy drinks with alcohol.

Continue researching the negative side effects energy drinks have on young people.

Their report is found here.

Moderation is Key

Too much of anything can potentially be dangerous, so moderation is recommended when consuming energy drinks. Caffeine (trimethylxanthine) and other ingredients in these beverages are drugs and should be respected and used in accordance with established recommended daily allowances.

To reduce the above potential energy drink dangers education is key. Consumers need to be aware of how much caffeine is in a drink or product and parents need to know exactly what their children are drinking and talk to them about what is safe.

Some stores are helping with this effort. Recently, supermarkets in the UK have banned sales of Energy Drinks to those under 16. Any drink with more than 150 mg per liter of caffeine must require proof of age before purchase ( BBC ). Other similar measures are being considered in other jurisdictions.

Written by Ted Kallmyer, last updated on March 6, 2020