Despite no official recall, there’s increasing worry about the safety of caffeine-packed energy drinks like 5-Hour Energy and Monster Energy. According to a Nov. 26 editorial in The Boston Globe, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has linked these drinks to 18 deaths.
The Globe editorial urges the FDA to regulate these energy drinks since they’re heavily marketed to teenagers, which might not be safe for their developing bodies. Last year, sales of these drinks hit $9 billion and are expected to double next year.
Daniel Tepfer, writing for the Norwalk Citizen, notes that 5-Hour Energy is selling quickly in Connecticut stores. One Bridgeport store owner commented that if these drinks were truly dangerous, the government would ban them.
The Globe points out that many consumers don’t know how much caffeine they’re consuming. Consumer Reports found that more than half of the top-selling brands either don’t list the caffeine content or contain more than what’s stated. For example, a 16-ounce Starbucks coffee has 330 milligrams of caffeine, but 5-Hour Energy contains 242 milligrams in just 1.9 ounces, and Rockstar Energy Shot has 229 milligrams in 2.5 ounces.
Last year, the federal Drug Abuse Warning Network called energy drinks a “rising public health problem,” often because people combine them with alcohol or drugs. This issue isn’t limited to teenagers; nearly half of U.S. service members in Afghanistan drink energy drinks, with 14% consuming three or more daily.
Andrea Valenti, a clinical nutrition manager at Bridgeport Hospital, warned that mixing 5-Hour Energy with alcohol is particularly risky. As a stimulant, caffeine can mask the effects of alcohol, causing people to underestimate their alcohol consumption.
Contrary to their marketing, energy drinks might actually cause daytime drowsiness, even for service members on duty. Having more than three per day can disrupt sleep, leaving people more exhausted. Because of this, the CDC considers energy drinks a public health issue and a national security concern. The Globe calls on the FDA to mandate clear caffeine content labeling and to stop marketing these drinks to teens.
In a Nov. 16 statement, the FDA confirmed it is investigating illness, injury, or deaths linked to energy drinks. They warned that these drinks shouldn’t be seen as substitutes for rest or sleep, as while they can boost alertness, they can also impair judgment and reaction time.