The global energy drink market has grown to $85 billion annually, with these drinks becoming a staple for the sluggish and sleep-deprived. Energy drinks have also become associated with the wellness movement, adding ingredients like ginseng, vitamins, and amino acids to their formulas.
However, there is a significant problem with energy drinks: they are not safe, particularly for teens and pre-teens. Excessive caffeine consumption can lead to acute illness and even death in young people.
Energy Drinks and College Sports
In recent years, energy drink companies have partnered with American universities, posing a new and more significant threat to young people’s health. For example, Monster Energy has entered a $20 million-a-year agreement with the Big 12 Conference, making it the conference’s “official entitlement partner” and placing its logo on every game jersey.
Another prominent energy drink, Celsius, has partnered with ESPN to sponsor College GameDay. According to John Higgins, a professor of cardiology at UTHealth in Houston, an energy-drink logo on a college jersey sends a message to children that these drinks are part of sports, performance, and success.
Celsius has also stated that college is where the next generation of fans and consumers are shaping culture, making their collaboration with ESPN a “natural evolution” of their commitment to the market.
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Some universities receiving funding from energy drink companies are also conducting research that demonstrates the benefits of these drinks. For instance, one study found that active individuals may improve acute metabolic outcomes by consuming a caffeine- and protein-containing energy drink.
Conflict of Interest Grows
This convergence of interests has raised concerns, as it may create a conflict of interest and undermine efforts to regulate the industry and protect young people’s health.
In other countries, such as Norway and Kuwait, strict rules have been imposed to ban the sale of energy drinks to teens. The European Food Safety Authority is also updating its guidance on energy drinks, having given them a soft pass a decade ago.
In the US, despite the efforts of physicians and citizens speaking out, the country is still dithering about how to address the issue. The lack of regulation and oversight has allowed the energy drink industry to grow and pose a significant health threat to young people.
There have been successes in protecting teens from commercially lucrative harm in the past, such as the restrictions on access to cigarettes and alcohol. Mothers Against Drunk Driving, founded in 1980, has been instrumental in forcing profound change.
Parents Demand Action Now
A similar parent-powered movement appears to be forming against energy drinks, with parents demanding that school districts ban these drinks in public schools. However, the anti-energy drink campaign lacks a key ingredient: cold hard facts about the harm being done.
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There is currently no government agency tracking the number of deaths connected to energy drinks nationally. Some data are available, such as emergency room visits by teens and young adults from energy drink ingestion, which doubled from 2017 to 2023.
The state of Connecticut has formally entered the details of more than three dozen local deaths strongly linked to energy drinks into their General Assembly. However, this information is not strong enough to convince politicians to take action.
The energy drink industry has been able to deflect criticism about risk by citing alternative explanations for each death, making it difficult to hold them accountable.
Government Fails to Act
The US has done very little to address the issue, with a disappointingly wimpy government attempt to start the ball rolling, including the Susan Katz Caffeine Safety Act, which has failed to pass in Congress twice.
Emergency room visits by teens and young adults from energy drink ingestion have doubled in recent years, with America’s Poison Centers reporting a 24% increase in calls for “pediatric exposure to energy drinks” between 2022 and 2023, highlighting the urgent need for action to protect young people’s health.
