Energy Drinks are the New Drugs

Picture this. You are at school, walking through the hallways hand in hand with someone really special to you. Someone you really love, and couldn’t imagine surviving the school day without. No…it’s not your boyfriend or girlfriend; it’s something even better. It’s your trusty Monster, Celsius, or Redbull. Oh, and you’re not the only one who is walking around with “yours truly”. Everywhere around, you can always spot someone with their precious cylindrical metal can. It doesn’t matter who they are, whether they are tall or short, have a Lightning McQueen Backpack or a My Little Pony, this cylindrical metal can unite them all. What is it? Well, you’ve probably guessed it by now. What else could it be other than the phenomenal energy drink?  Energy drinks are popular today, especially among younger generations. How many people have them, drink them? They seem as though they will have the power to induce world peace. Take a moment to picture…World War 3 is going on. Everyone is screaming bloody murder, trying to kill each other, running towards one another with full force. Then a magical loudspeaker voice comes on and announces. “HEY! STOP RAMMING INTO ONE ANOTHER LIKE RED BULLS. ENJOY ONE INSTEAD.” Cans and Cans of redbulls began raining down, and everyone forgets what they are fighting about and in awe screaming with delight catch one instead takes a plop on the ground, cracks open the bottle, and chugs it around laughing with their enemies like they were best friends since they were 3 years old. Because energy drinks are supposed to, well, give energy. They’re supposed to sweep away your exhaustion and fill you up with happiness. But in reality, they are secret killers. And not enough of us have recognized that or care about it, making this lack of awareness a detrimental issue.

Red Bulls and Monsters are more dangerous than what their name actually has the power to do. Red Bulls can knock you over, in a more painful way than even a bull ramming into you could, and the things that Monsters can do are scarier than the so-called “monster” under your bed if it is not taken seriously. They have the power to knock you over and immensely hurt you if not taken into consideration. And for that reason, Energy Drinks are like the new drugs. Because in the beginning, no one takes them seriously, then they become addictive, and finally, after a while, they pose serious health consequences or even death.

Let’s start by addressing why energy drinks are so popular today, especially among younger generations. For the past couple of years, it seems to be as if energy drinks are this sort of “trend.” Everyone has them, so if you don’t, it automatically makes students seem like they are uncool. And even for those who don’t care about popularity, with the outright awakening of everyone in school hand in hand with an energy drink, others who probably would have never touched one in their lives probably had to try one just to see “what it’s all about.” But let’s take a step back even further. What caused this whole craze to begin in the first place? The answer comes unsurprisingly from social media. According to      , platforms like TikTok and Instagram were used to advertise energy drinks in aesthetic ways appealing to younger audiences. For instance, to promote “healthier” images, such as getting better at sports, fun flavors (like candy), and association with fitness/study, making them highly popular but also raising concerns about youth caffeine intake and deceptive marketing practices. There are literally commercials that say, ” Do you want to be a better athlete in 5 minutes and show how redbull with that aesthetic slurp, gives them the power to do that.

So now that we’ve learned what causes the addiction, let’s see why the addiction remains. This is all because of one word: caffeine. I know it’s really hard to believe, but energy drinks give you energy. Mindblowing, I know. According to Korgod School of Business, “When asked about their primary motivation for consuming energy drinks, the need for a ‘pick me up’ was overwhelmingly cited versus other reasons – essentially consumers are using these beverages as a quick solution for fatigue or low energy. Regarding perceived benefits, over half of energy drink consumers (55.6 percent) reported “mental alertness/studying” as the main benefit they gained from these beverages. This finding indicates that many students rely on energy drinks specifically as an academic performance aid, using caffeine strategically to enhance focus and concentration during study sessions or exams.” The most shocking and absurd part, though, according to a survey by the Korgod School of Business, “Over 90 percent of respondents indicated caffeine consumption ‘probably’ or ‘definitely’ carries health risks.” Furthermore, “Most students recognized insomnia, anxiety, and rapid heart rate as significant drawbacks of caffeine.”. And sadly, with our generation today being so closed to applying what we learn and listening instead of just ignoring or rebelling, “Education—defined as either previous health class experience or exposure to our pre-survey reading about energy drink pros and cons—did not influence students’ awareness of caffeine-related health risks or their decision to consume energy drinks.”

This entire time, I’ve been going on about how harmful energy drinks are, but I really never went into depth on why that happens. And is it actually safe, because it seems too good to be true? Advertisements are talking about this healthy, tasty, aesthetic drink that can help you do well in your grades and sports and improve your mental fatigue, all for the low cost of a few bucks per can. Is it really just a win-win? Well, let’s see what caffeine even is. According to Kormad School of Business, caffeine is a natural stimulant found in over 60 plants like coffee beans, tea leaves, and cacao, also added synthetically to drinks, foods, and medicines, that boosts alertness by blocking sleep-inducing adenosine in the brain, making you feel awake and focused, though excessive intake can cause anxiety, jitters, and sleep issues. So how far do these “jitters” or “issues” go? This concern is supported by alarming statistics: emergency room visits linked to energy drinks among individuals aged 12-17 increased from 1,145 in 2007 to 1,499 in 2011 (Harvard). In one tragic case, a 21-year-old with a heart condition died after consuming Panera Bread’s highly caffeinated “Charged Lemonade” in 2022. Beyond acute health risks, research indicates long-term dangers as well. Multiple studies demonstrate that regular caffeine consumption can lead to tolerance and addiction-like behaviors, including dependence and withdrawal symptoms when attempting to quit (Vähäkangas). The World Health Organization has formally recognized the severity of this issue by classifying caffeine addiction as a clinical disorder (Hilliard).

And yet, even after knowing all these dangers, being aware of how overwhelming the addiction can get, these thoughts slip out of many students’ heads, smoother than butter, as soon as they feel the slightest urge to buy this cylindrical can.

In conclusion, energy drinks are addictive, life-threatening, and popular for the wrong reasons. But we can stop this. Break the cycle and be part of a new, healthier trend by boycotting energy drinks. Because it may give energy in the moment. But in the long run, they slowly suck the life out of you…until it’s too late.