Sky-high caffeine levels are landing energy drink lovers in the ER.
The number of people showing up in emergency rooms for
"adverse reactions" to nonalcoholic energy drinks like Amp and Red
Bull has shot up tenfold over a four-year period, according to datafrom the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) of
the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
In 2005, DAWN logged
just 1,128 emergency department visits involving nonalcoholic energy drinks
like Monster, Full Throttle and Rockstar; by 2008 that number shot up to more
than 16,000, and in 2009, the most recent year for which DAWN has data, it was
13,114.
The problem? Caffeine—a lot of it.
The average can or bottle contains up to 500 mg, compared
with about 100 mg in a five-ounce cup of coffee or 50 mg in a 12-ounce cola.
“There are no safe
levels of caffeine,” Dr. Albert Woodward,
DAWN's director, tells The Fix.
DAWN’s data also found that men are more likely to mix these
drinks with alcohol or illegal drugs, while women are more likely to combine
prescription drugs with highly caffeinated drinks.
And Woodward said younger people have greater access to
“central nervous system medications” such as Adderall and other stimulants
whose risks are exacerbated when combined with excess caffeine.
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