Khadija Rizwan
On March 5, 2025, West Virginia became the first state in the U.S to ban seven synthetic dyes and 2 preservatives citing health concerns for children and adults. Other states, such as California, have also started to take similar action. But why now? Recently, public health officials and the FDA have raised concerns over the high amounts of caffeine and other harmful ingredients in energy drinks, and their effects on teens specifically.
In the past month, an energy drink called “Witch’s Brew” by the brand Alani, quickly gained popularity on social media after several people reported having stroke-like symptoms and some even experienced heart palpitations and strong chest pain. Energy drinks causing major health risks is no news, but right now, it is endangering teens more than ever.
Energy drinks have been around for centuries in various different forms. According to the National Institute of Health, Lipovitan-d, the first ever energy drink, was developed in the 1960s in Japan. The beverage was advertised as a medical tonic to help with fatigue and consisted of ingredients like caffeine, taurine, and b vitamins. This caused the spread of energy drinks all over the world, with many companies creating their own versions. Red Bull, developed in Austria, finally made its way into the U.S. in 1977.
Ever since, energy drinks have been highly consumed by adults, college students, and teens. But now, more teens are consuming excessive amounts of energy drinks than ever. Studies show one third of teens, ages 12 to 17 consume energy drinks on a daily basis and this is creating detrimental effects that are severely harming teens. But how?
Energy drinks are packed with high amounts of caffeine, added sugars, additives, and stimulants like taurine and L-carnitine. Although these stimulants increase attention and alertness, they also significantly increase heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure. Some of these effects are due to the high amounts of caffeine in energy drinks. The daily average caffeine consumption for adults is about 400 mg and less than 100 mg for children ages 12-18. Most energy drinks contain 100-300 mg of caffeine, so even having one can per day can be risky.
Beside caffeine, stimulants like taurine, although present naturally in the human body, at high levels can accelerate the growth of leukemia and lung cancer cells, ultimately increasing the chances of cancer according to Science Direct. Other ingredients like such sugar and additives can cause abnormal fluctuations in blood sugar and contribute to sleep disturbances, mood swings, constant headaches, and increased anxiety.
Additionally, they can disrupt normal heart functions and cause heart rhythm abnormalities. PE teacher at Wheeling Park High School, Mr. Jebbia, shares his views on this.
“Energy drinks have lots of negatives. As a health teacher, I try to encourage kids to drink water and healthier drinks,” said Jebbia.
Other students share if they consume energy drinks, why or why not.
“Yes, because when I’m tired in the morning around third period, I like to have a little bit of energy and get a jumpstart on the day,” said Wyatt Rich, junior.
“No, I don’t, because they are bad for you, they’ve given people heart attacks before,” said Hailey Downer, junior.
Most teens choose energy drinks on a daily basis because it is difficult waking up early every morning for school, and then having to go through the school day while staying engaged. But there are alternatives that are energetic and nutritious, that don’t cause harm or dangers to health. These include green tea, blueberries, raspberries, fruit smoothies, and oranges. Fruits like oranges, blueberries, and raspberries include antioxidants, Vitamin C, fiber, and natural sugars which boost energy and are nutritious.
Healthy choices may not have the same hit as an energy drink, but the long-term benefits of avoiding energy drinks outweigh the convenience of a quick can.