Over the last several years, energy drinks have sky-rocketed in popularity. In fact, recent data suggests that over 100,000,000 individuals living in the United States consumed an energy drink in 2011, totaling over 6 billion energy drinks being sold. In addition, the majority of energy drink sales are by teenagers. The rise in the popularity of energy drinks can be associated with young Americans specifically drinking energy drinks to boost their alertness and stamina, especially when the trials and tribulations of the day begin to fatigue their mind and body.
Although there’s nothing wildly unhealthy about such a practice, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is now issuing a warning stating that consuming energy drinks in excess, or in combination with drugs and alcohol, could be very dangerous.
A Tenfold Increase in Energy Drink-Related Hospitalizations
According to the SAMHSA, approximately 1,128 visits to the emergency room were linked with energy drink consumption in 2005. Just four years later, that number soared to 13,114. Similar energy drink hospital data for 2010 and 2011 has yet to be published, though researchers expect those figures to be even higher.
Breaking Down the Data
The Department of Health and Human Services reported that approximately 44% of the 2009 ER visits related to energy drink consumption involved patients who combined energy drinks with alcohol or drugs including pharmaceuticals. In addition, most of those who were hospitalized were males ranging from age 18 to 39.
According to the researchers, drinking energy drinks alone isn’t dangerous for most individuals unless they’re consumed in excessive quantities. In that case, patients suffered from conditions ranging from dehydration to hypertension and heart arrhythmia.
However, they said that the real trouble starts when energy drinks are combined with alcohol or drugs. In those cases, resulting injuries and conditions could be far more serious, even life-threatening, according to researchers. They also said that those who engaged in this sort of behavior were also statistically more likely to engage in other risky behaviors, including drunk driving.
Alcoholic Energy Drinks and ABV
The news is alarming considering the increasing trend of energy drinks that already contain alcohol. Until recently, these drinks were simply labeled “contains alcohol,” with no requirements for stating the actual alcohol content.
It’s now been revealed that many alcoholic energy drinks, which also include caffeine in addition to other stimulants, contain up to 14% alcohol-by-volume (ABV). That’s nearly three times as much alcohol per ounce as what you’d find in a typical American beer (Budweiser, for example, contains 5% ABV, while most light beers range from 4% to 4.2% ABV).
A little simple math tells us that a 24-ounce 14%-ABV energy drink would have more alcohol than a six-pack of light beer. In combination with the fact that the alcoholic energy drink will likely be consumed much faster than the entire six-pack, it’s easy to see why these products are considered dangerous.
Energy Drink Hospital Visits: The Bottom Line
Drinking the occasional Red Bull, Monster or Rock Star energy drink shouldn’t pose any tangible health risks. However, drinking them in excessive quantities or combining them with alcohol or drugs could lead to a hospital visit. Alcoholic energy drinks, which combine high levels of alcohol and caffeine into a single can, should be avoided entirely.
