Tag: Energy drinks and college

3 Reasons Energy Drink Bans Fail

3 Reasons Energy Drink Bans Fail

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Energy drinks are not intended for minors. And yet, energy drink bans are not the way to go.

Many states and counties in the US have tried to pass laws to prevent minors from buying energy drinks. In this episode of the Caffeine at Midnight podcast, Caffeine Scientist GreenEyedGuide describes the 3 reasons energy drink bans fail, and what lawmakers SHOULD do instead.

Where Minors Get Their Caffeine

Few get it from energy drinks

  • 8/10 teens get their caffeine from soda
  • 5/10 teens get caffeine from tea
  • 3/10 teens get caffeine from coffee
  • Only 1/10 teens get caffeine from energy drinks

Reference: Beverage caffeine intakes in the US – Food Chem Toxicol, 136-42 Jan 2014

energy drink bans don't work because that's not where teens get their caffeine

The 3 Most Important Things You Need To Know

Energy Drink Bans Don't Address Dangerous Ingredients

People have overdosed on caffeine from shots of espresso, from pure caffeine powder, and from soda [see References, below].
A ban on energy drinks won't address situations where OTHER ingredients pose a health risk. For example, yohimbe, beta-alanine, and even B-Vitamins can be harmful in the wrong dose.

Energy Drink Bans Don't Include "Energy Drinks In Disguise"

Starbucks Doubleshot has 2x the caffeine of Red Bull. Some preworkout powders have 3x the amount of caffeine a minor can have in 1 day. Energy drink bans fail to include these products, which pose just as much risk to minors as the stereotypical energy drink.

Energy Drink Bans Don't Protect 18 Year Olds

Eighteen year olds don't magically wake up immune to caffeine toxicity. And yet, college students are more likely than minors of overdosing on caffeine. This is due to their newfound independence, peer pressure, and the stress of juggling college and Adulthood responsibilities.

Bottom Line

Preventing a minor from buying Red Bull is not the best way to keep minors safe from the health risks associated with energy drinks. There are too many loopholes, and there are better methods that protect everyone, not just minors.

In the next episode of the Caffeine at Midnight podcast, GreenEyedGuide shares why Canada’s Energy Drink Restriction is the way to go.

Related Reading: Energy Drink Laws and Limits Worldwide

References

  1. Documented Deaths By Caffeine – Caffeine Informer
  2. Yohimbe Side Effects – WebMD
  3. Energy Drink Hospitalizations – GreenEyedGuide.com
Caffeine Effects on the Brain – Part 2

Caffeine Effects on the Brain – Part 2

greeneyedguide

Welcome to GreenEyedGuide, your guide to the science behind caffeine and energy drinks. This is a series on How Caffeine Affects the Brain. Since this is a complex topic and we have a lot to cover, I’ve broken the key questions into different posts. In this part, we compare coffee versus energy drinks to determine what makes the best study aid and why.

Later in this series, we’ll also talk about:

  • Why does caffeine work differently after an all-nighter?
  • What ingredients in energy drinks help you focus during gaming?
  • Does your brain get addicted to caffeine and energy drinks?

Coffee Versus Energy Drinks – Which is Better for Studying?

If you don’t have time to watch the full episode, don’t worry! The highlights are below.

Read more →

Caffeine and College Exams – GreenEyedGuide presents at Cal State Fullerton

Caffeine and College Exams – GreenEyedGuide presents at Cal State Fullerton

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The video below includes a portion of GreenEyedGuide’s presentation from California State University-Fullerton, Peer Health University Network meeting. Learn how caffeine content isn’t always what it seems, how consumption changes as people get older and how caffeine helps one focus for exams.

 

 

Watch the video above to learn how to become an advocate for safe caffeine consumption

Thank you to Cal State Fullerton’s Peer Health Univerity Network for hosting this presentation!

Related Content:

To contact GreenEyedGuide about speaking at your event, use the contact form below:

 

 

Top 10 Facts You Need to Know About Caffeine [GreenEyedGuide on Avitae Blog]

Top 10 Facts You Need to Know About Caffeine [GreenEyedGuide on Avitae Blog]

greeneyedguide

With school back in session, it’s the perfect time for a refresher course in caffeine. Check out this article I wrote for the Avitae blog!

Avitae_8933_Email_Sept_1200x450_1
https://goavitae.com/news/top-10-facts-you-need-to-know-about-caffeine/

Don’t miss this article, featuring everything you need to know about caffeine:
https://goavitae.com/news/top-10-facts-you-need-to-know-about-caffeine/

 

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Is V8 Really an Energy Drink? A Primer on the Science of Energy Drinks in Disguise [GreenEyedGuide on ScienceMeetsFood]

Is V8 Really an Energy Drink? A Primer on the Science of Energy Drinks in Disguise [GreenEyedGuide on ScienceMeetsFood]

greeneyedguide

In this article I wrote for ScienceMeetsFood.org, I address the problem behind the term “energy drink” and the science behind energy drinks in disguise. (There’s also a Guardians of the Galaxy metaphor!) It’s a great primer if you’ve never heard the term “energy drink in disguise”, or if you never realized that V8 and Ocean Spray make energy drinks. Read this article in its entirety at ScienceMeetsFood.org

“I’ve been studying energy drinks since 2003 and they continue to both fascinate and horrify me. They fascinate me because I’m a biochemistry major, or maybe it’s the other way around. Energy drinks are the reason I pursued my masters in food science (and the reason I survived grad school). Metabolic biochemistry is the closest I’ll ever come to engineering – for me, studying biochemistry is studying the secret rules to how things work.

Energy drinks horrify me because it feels like people with no science background are behind some of the products you can buy online. Sometimes I’ll read a label and think, “What are they doing? Who thought this was a good idea?” The most concerning aspect of energy drinks is we don’t have a proper nomenclature to classify them properly. (#WhatWouldIUPACDo?) Using the term “energy drink” the way we do is like calling pure ethanol “booze”. Let’s talk about why the lack of classification is a problem.

Is V8 Really Energy Drink
Read this on ScienceMeetsFood

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