When to Say "When" with Caffeine

How do you get yourself going in the morning? Are you a coffee drinker? Maybe soda does it for you? If you’re lucky, you might not need any caffeine at all, but for so many, that’s just not the case. Caffeine is part of our daily routine, and beverage manufacturers are finding new ways to get it into our hands … and the hands of our teens.

“Energy drinks” are all the rage among young people all over the world. In the United States, 8 million teens call themselves customers. In this week’s Health Politics program, I discuss exactly what’s in energy drinks and how these ingredients affect your body. In moderation and for a healthy individual, they’re not necessarily dangerous, but in a handful of particular circumstances, they could do some serious damage. What circumstances? For details, I suggest you watch this week’s video or read the transcript, but it really comes down to these three points: energy drinks should not be used during or after exercise; pregnant women should avoid them; and, perhaps most important of all, energy drinks should not be mixed with alcohol.

As you may have noticed, marketing for these drinks is popping up just about everywhere. And one of the newest brands is called “Cocaine.” It has a whopping 280 mg of caffeine, compared to Red Bull’s 80 mg. A parent group recently pressured 7-Eleven to pull it from its shelves. What would you do if you saw your child, sibling or friend with a can of “Cocaine?” Is the drink a bad idea, or does it just have a bad name?