Tuesday November 28, 2000

Are Energy Drinks Dangerous?

Some trendy new energy drinks are making the rounds these days. But they're also making some people sick. Attorney Mike Bryant has a revealing report on the reason why in today's Consumer Pay-off.

From cool California nightspots to trendy New York taverns, the high-energy drink Red Bull is quickly becoming the hip new mixer on the party scene.

Most people don't seem to know what's in it, but Red Bull and other energy drinks are powerful stimulants that can have some pretty sobering side effects. And their catchy ads are making Red Bull a hit with teens too!

Mike: How many of these would you drink in a day?

Student: Like three of four.

Mike: And are you just a little wired?

Student: Sometimes at the end of the day.

Getting wired led to problems at a high school in Burbank, California. Principal Ron Schecklen tells EXTRA, "We had two incidents with student athletes who passed out and were hospitalized."

The students are fine, but the scare prompted action from Principal Schecklen who banned Red Bull and Speed Stack from campus. He says, "The reaction physically of the heart rates and passing out, I think those are pretty extreme, caused us to take this action."

Most of these products aren't recommended for children... and Speed Stack even warns of serious potential health problems like heart attack, stroke, seizure and death!

Registered Dietitian Roberta Terry says the combination of loads of caffeine plus these exotic ingredients can be a recipe for disaster. She says, "There might be some high blood pressure issues, blood sugar issues they don't know about."

But young people don't always read labels and if mixed with alcohol, Terry says,
"That's really scary. You have vodka, which is a depressant. Alcohol can promote dehydration. Caffeine is a stimulant, so they are really putting themselves at a real risk."

Risk or not, energy drinks have become so popular that even the beverage giants are taking notice. Coca-Cola, Anheuser-Busch and Hansens are launching their own products, hoping to cash in on the latest drink craze.

We wanted to include a comment from the Red Bull people in our story but they wouldn't talk to us on camera. And here's the consumer payoff: the FDA does not regulate most energy drinks. So be sure to read the label for warnings before drinking. And by the way, the rumor that Red Bull is made from bull testicles is not true.