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Chasing that Caffeine High
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- Parent Category: Advanced News Lessons
- Category: Health Lessons
- Written by Chris Cotter
More than 500 new energy drinks have debuted this past year, and it has doctors worried. Nutritionists warn that the large doses of caffeine and sugar in each drink can snare kids on an unhealthy up-and-down cycle. The drinks contain megadoses of vitamins, too, which can cause their own side effects if ingested every day for a period of months. Most alarming, perhaps, are reports that kids are guzzling several in a row for the high it gives. More and more calls are coming in to poison-control centers from young people sick on too much caffeine.
Danger adds to the appeal, and most brands target in on that idea, particularly towards male teens and twentysomethings. There is "Cocaine Energy Drink," "Pimpjuice," and "Bawls." Hannah Kirby, the person behind Cocaine Energy Drink, said she initially wanted to call it "Reboot" -- "a pretty ho-hum name." But the name was already taken, so she chose to be provocative. The drink is getting the attention she craved, too, for kids quickly noticed it against a backdrop of a thousand other energy drinks. Their slogan: "The Legal Alternative."
Some beer manufacturers now produce "energy beers," or beer that contains caffeine. And "Red Bull," the first energy drink on the market in the West, has been mixed with alcohol by bartenders for more than a decade. The energy drink-alcohol combo doesn't make you feel as drunk, but coordination and reaction times suggest otherwise. The potential for accidents and alcohol poisoning increase.
Just how much caffeine does an energy drink contain? A study at the University of Florida discovered that many of the drinks contain two to four times the amount of caffeine as Coke. What's more, the serving size is usually two-thirds of a standard can. Energy drinks are currently unregulated in the U.S., but the study strongly suggests warning labels.
Preview some of the lesson material:
Brainstorm: Brainstorm with a partner(s) all the fads you can remember in your lifetime. What were they? What happened to them? In hindsight, were any dangerous? silly? important?
Questions: Answer the questions to check comprehension.
- What do nutritionists warn of?
- Why are poison-control centers being called more often?
- What is the appeal of names like "Cocaine Energy Drink," "Pimpjuice," and "Bawls?"
- What is the primary concern of mixing alcohol with energy drinks?
- Why does the Florida study suggest regulating caffeine drinks?
post-Comprehension: Talk about the following questions in pairs/groups. Remember to support your answers!
- Have you ever (or do you often) drink energy drinks? Why/not?
- Do you think energy drinks are dangerous? How about if you drink them every day?
- Why do you think energy drinks are becoming so popular?
- Do you think it's safe for kids to drink energy drinks sometimes? Every day? Several times a day?
- Caffeine is an addictive drug. Why do you think it remains legal when other, equally harmful drugs are illegal?
Google Search: Type "energy drinks" into Google. Look at the websites, and/or read additional articles on this topic. Discuss or write an essay about your findings.
