National Ledger - Cocaine, Booze and Energy Drinks: What Now for Parents?

Share This \| Related Cocaine, Booze and Energy Drinks: What Now for Parents?
By Jennifer Cox Jun 22, 2008

Teens are mixing everything with their energy drinks. The drinks that many Americans depend on to get them going in the morning or keep them going through the day are coming under fire by some medical professionals as they believe that the energy drinks are being marketed to kids and teens.

Cocaine, Booze and Energy Drinks: What Now for Parents?

Many are also worried that the energy drinks are fast becoming a favorite as a mixer fro alcohol and other parents are worried that their teens are mixing drugs, alcohol and the caffeine-laden drinks to catch a high. Lots of the energy drinks carry about 80 milligrams of caffeine each, which is about twice as much as the average soft drink. They contain other legal stimulants as well, like ephedrine, guarana, and ginseng.

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A Brown University report notes that "since energy drinks are stimulants and alcohol is a depressant, the combination of effects may be dangerous. The stimulant effects can mask how intoxicated you are and prevent you from realizing how much alcohol you have consumed. Fatigue is one of the ways the body normally tells someone that they've had enough to drink."

The report notes that energy drinks are not necessarily bad for you, but they shouldn't be seen as "natural alternatives" either. So what is a parent to do - keep an eye on your kids and what they put in their bodies.

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