|
Coalition urges parents to get the facts about energy drinks
LEXINGTON - Energy drinks seem to be everywhere these days. With edgy graphics and images of extreme lifestyles, drinks like Red Bull, amp Energy, No Fear, Adrenaline Rush, Full Throttle, Rip It and others have blasted their way into public consciousness and consumption, especially with young people.
But are they safe? Or even healthy? According to the American Dietetic Association, three primary ingredients in energy drinks pose a danger to kids - carbohydrates, caffeine and sugar. Excess carbohydrates make it harder for food and nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream and can cause some gastrointestinal problems - especially if drinking one right before intense activity. Because carbs also slow down the rate of fluid absorption, it is even harder for the body to rehydrate during exercise. The ADA points out that caffeine has both laxative and diuretic effects, leaving the body dehydrated. Caffeine also increases the heart rate and body temperature; too much caffeine can cause irregular heartbeat, excess sweating, jitters, anxiousness, reduced coordination and balance, and disturbed sleep patterns. Energy drinks also tend to be packed with a lot of fructose and sugar, which can often have laxative effects on the body. Sugar causes energy (or insulin) levels to come crashing down once the sugar leaves the bloodstream, often leaving the drinker even more fatigued.
According to Dr. Kelly Shifflett, Director of Prevention and Public Relations at Rockbridge Area Community Services, "If parents read the packaging, energy drinks carry a warning that they are not recommended for children. Some specifically say 'not recommended for children under 18'. Our goal is to help educate parents about the dangers of these products which are clearly being marketed to children and teens." Karen Hicks, Prevention Services Coordinator for Valley Community Services Board noted, "During our parent orientation for our summer program here at VCSB, parents have made a point to ask us if we serve energy drinks at camp. Of course we don't, but parents are asking because they don't want their children drinking them. We're pleased to see this level of concern in parents."
Prevention educators at RACS are also concerned about mixing energy drinks with alcohol. "An additional alarming trend among teens is mixing energy drinks with alcohol," says LauraJane Wilson, prevention coordinator at RACS. "The combination is especially dangerous and can be deadly."
According to medical professionals and other researchers, caffeine and other stimulants in energy drinks can "mask" the intoxicating effects of the alcohol, making people feel that they aren't as intoxicated as they really are, encouraging them to drink more. "Since energy drinks are stimulants and alcohol is a depressant, the combination of effects can be dangerous. A surge of caffeine can result in an abnormal heartbeat, such as the heart palpitations that occur when people drink coffee. At the same time, alcohol slows the heart. In some cases, death can occur suddenly," indicates Dr. Steven Lipshultz, chairman of the University of Miami's pediatrics department. "Both energy drinks and alcohol are diuretics, which dehydrate the body. People can become disoriented, pass out and have seizures," Lipshultz said. The combination is "sort of a double whammy," he went on to say. The effects on the body vary depending on the amount of caffeine consumed, the person's weight and underlying health issues such as diabetes.
"Another major concern is that alcoholic versions of energy drinks are on the market in packaging that is alarmingly similar to the non-alcoholic brands," points out Wendy Morgan, Coalition Facilitator for the Rockbridge Area Prevention Coalition Law enforcement investigators in Kentucky, Florida and other states have recently conducted undercover operations, noting that store clerks, apparently confused by the similarities in packaging, often do not recognize that they are selling an alcohol-containing beverage when they ring up a purchase of the energy drinks. About I in 4 clerks were found to regularly mistake the alcohol-containing energy drinks with similar non-alcoholic beverages and inadvertently, but illegally, sell them to minors. Our youth are at risk when clerks, retailers, and parents cannot differentiate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages," said Wendy Morgan.
A research study conducted in 2006 by the Wake-Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C. found that consumption of alcohol mixed with energy drinks was associated with increased heavy drinking and twice as many episodes of drunkenness. Students who reported consuming alcohol mixed with energy drinks had significantly higher prevalence of consequences. "Mixing caffeine (a stimulant) with alcohol (a depressant), is like getting into a car and stepping on the gas pedal and the brake at the same time," stated Dr. Mary Claire O'Brien, MD, one of the researchers involved in the Wake Forest study. "Only the symptoms of drunkenness are reduced - but not the drunkenness. Students can't tell if they're drunk or if someone else is drunk. So they get hurt, or they hurt someone else."
In response to this dangerous trend, the Rockbridge Area Prevention Coalition has produced a brochure designed to alert local families about the dangers of energy drinks. "Earlier this month, a 10th grade student in Florida died after reportedly mixing alcohol and energy drinks at a party," said Wendy Morgan. "Our goal is to educate parents, students and others in the Rockbridge area before a similar tragedy happens to one of our kids," she added.
For more information, contact the Rockbridge Area Prevention Coalition at (540) 462-6640 or wmorgan@racsb.org.
|
