When walking into school, many kids have an energy drink in their hand or some sort of caffeinated drink. Many may not know what effects energy drinks have or what’s even in them.
“Teenagers, I think middle schoolers, too,” Amy Kelly, a school nurse at FHN said. “I worked in a middle school for teens, angry teens because a lot of, like, the middle schoolers don’t even like it, they don’t think it’s got caffeine in it.”
According to Kelly, middle schoolers and teenagers run the energy drink market. One of the reasons they drink them is to seem cool, they don’t care how much caffeine energy drinks have in them. All they care about is looking cool in front of their friends.
“Energy drinks cause fast heart rate, like palpitations, chest pain, dizziness, and the crash effect,” Kelly said. “Like you’re going to get energized, but then your energy’s going to suck. A lot of them feel nauseated because they’re eating with an empty stomach.”
There are so many side effects to drinking energy drinks and some of the effects aren’t good. According to Healthline Media, even when drinking them on an empty stomach can lead to rapid absorption of caffeine and sugar. That potentially causes discomfort, jitters and blood sugar fluctuations. Also dehydration, especially without food to help regulate blood sugar levels.
“I think they taste good,” freshman Maddie Fennell said. “It is a good motivation to wake up on an early morning knowing I have an energy drink waiting for me.”
Fennell is one of the many students at FHN that drinks energy drinks. She enjoys them because it motivates them to get up in the morning and get stuff done. It’s also like a good treat in the morning before getting ready for school and any activity that forces her to wake up early.
“For a teenager, no, I don’t think it’s necessary to drink energy drinks everyday,” nurse Kelly said. “I think occasionally, sure. But it’s usually kids that come in because they don’t know what’s wrong. They just chug them, they haven’t eaten. They think they’re having a heart attack.”
