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Are Energy Drinks Linked To Drug Use - Health News - NHS Choices
Are Energy Drinks Linked To Drug Use - Health News - NHS Choices
Are energy drinks linked to drug use? - Health News - NHS Choices
A bottle of energy drink can contain up to 500ml of caffeine "Teenagers who consume energy drinks 'are twice as likely to use alcohol and drugs'," the Mail Online warns. Research suggests that US teenagers who regularly consume energy drinks such as Red Bull are more likely to use drugs as well as smoke and drink alcohol. This new research employed a survey to assess the self-reported use of energy drinks and soft drinks among a large nationally representative sample of almost 22,000 US secondary school students. It found that roughly a third of adolescents aged 13 to 18 years reported drinking energy drinks daily, and just under half reported drinking regular soft drinks daily. The use of energy drinks and soft drinks was slightly higher among those in the 8th grade (13 to 14 years) than the 10th or 12th grades. The researchers found a general trend that increased use of energy drinks was associated with increased use of substances, including alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and amphetamines. However, a survey of this sort cannot prove cause and effect, and the association could run in both directions. For example, some amphetamine users drink energy drinks to enhance the effect of the drug, and energy drinks are also often mixed with alcohol. Another theory offered by the researchers is that teenagers with a tendency to take risks are more likely to drink energy drinks and take drugs but this theory is not proven. The study does raise the question of whether energy drinks are suitable for teenagers. As the American Academy of Pediatrics stated, "The caffeine and other stimulant substances contained in energy drinks have no place in the diet of children and adolescents."
http://www.nhs.uk/news/2014/02February/Pages/Are-energy-drinks-linked-to-drug-use.aspx
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2/14/2014
Are energy drinks linked to drug use? - Health News - NHS Choices
Conclusion
http://www.nhs.uk/news/2014/02February/Pages/Are-energy-drinks-linked-to-drug-use.aspx 2/3
2/14/2014
Are energy drinks linked to drug use? - Health News - NHS Choices
This cross-sectional survey has assessed the self-reported use of energy drinks and soft drinks among a large nationally representative sample of almost 22,000 US secondary school students. It found that roughly a third of adolescents aged 13 to 18 years reported drinking energy drinks daily, and just under half reported drinking regular soft drinks daily. The use of energy drinks and soft drinks was slightly higher among those in the 8th grade (13 to 14 years) than the 10th or 12th grades. The researchers found a general trend that increased use of energy drinks was associated with increased use of substances, including alcohol, tobacco, cannabis and amphetamines. Associations were also found with increasing use of soft drinks, but the links weren't quite so strong. It is important to be aware, however, that the prevalence of substance use was quite low, particularly when observing that the greatest associations with all substances were found for the youngest in the 8th grade. The 8th grade had the lowest rate of substance use of all the years. Although a link between the consumption of energy drinks, regular or diet soft drinks was found with amphetamine for the 8th grade, only 1.7% of the 8th grade reported amphetamine use (any frequency). When looking at associations with an outcome that is quite rare, the results may be less reliable. The important thing to realise is that although the researchers discuss various plausible theories about why there may be an association between energy drink use and substance use such as behavioural characteristics of the individual this study cannot prove cause and effect. Other limitations of the study include the self-reported measures, which may include inaccuracies. It is possible that the adolescents may have had concerns about reporting their use of substances, so this is not reported reliably. The results also cannot be automatically generalised to other populations outside the US. Overall, the study provides useful information about the self-reported prevalence of energy drinks, soft drinks and substances among 13 to 18-year-old US students. Both the UK Food Standards Agency and the British Soft Drinks Association recommend that children should only consume caffeine in moderation, and there have been calls to restrict the sale of energy drinks to under-18s. It is certainly not a good idea for teenagers to frequently consume energy drinks. There is evidence that consuming large amounts of caffeine on a regular basis can cause irritability, nervousness, anxiety and insomnia. This is turn could have a negative impact on behaviour and academic performance. If you have teenage children, encourage them to look at our teen health bundles. These contain a range of useful advice on drugs, smoking and alcohol and the potential harms linked to all three. See Teen girls' health and Teen boys' health for more information. Analysis by Bazian. Edited by NHS Choices. Follow Behind the Headlines on Twitter. Join the Healthy Evidence forum.
2/11/2014 11:58:20 AM
2/10/2014 11:32:40 AM
http://www.nhs.uk/news/2014/02February/Pages/Are-energy-drinks-linked-to-drug-use.aspx
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