Energy drinks are an interesting part of our culture. We use them in the morning to get started. We use them in the afternoon to keep going. We use them to get through long work shifts. Then at the end of the day we mix them with vodka. The use of energy drinks in various forms has been around for centuries. Early Europeans drank coffee imported from Arabia and Turkey and tea that was imported from China. Native laborers in the mountains of Columbia chewed coca leaves for energy. During the civil war the North blockaded the South preventing the import of caffeine. It is easy to see that energy drinks, be it my morning cup of coffee, or the afternoon Diet Coke enjoyed by many, are part of our culture.
As with any drug there is always a downside. In 2010 US poison centers assisted in the management of over 500 patients that were exposed to an energy drink. Of those five had a life threatening event. Fortunately, none died. Today it was reported that the FDA had received reports of five deaths secondary to consuming energy drinks. Here is a link to the New York Times article. Caffeine has a well known list of side effects. A little to much caffeine and we can all get jittery and have an upset stomach. Not to mention the feeling that your heart is racing. But what if you take a giant dose, or have a preexisting heart condition. In those situations the outcome is not good.
A drug being part of our culture is not a bad thing. Most of the time it is a really good thing. But it is important to remember that all drugs, including caffeine and energy drinks, have side effects. Plus some people should never take some drugs. As our Friends at Erowid.com tell us, "Know your body - know your mind - know your substance - know your source."
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