Caffeinated Energy Drinks
In recent
years, companies have begun marketing heavily caffeinated
“energy” drinks specifically to teenagers, who drink these
supplements in order to create a euphoric high. Drinks such
as Red Bull, Monster, and Full Throttle have been taking the
country by storm averaging $2.3 billion in teen sales last
year alone. In September 2006, Redux Beverages launched a
new energy drink, Cocaine™
Energy
Drink.
In a market
crowded with over 500 brands of energy drinks, Cocaine™
is
having the biggest impact in the shortest amount of time.
Cocaine™ uses the advertising slogan, “The Legal
Alternative” to entice young drinkers. An article published
by Media Post Publications in September 2006, “Cocaine
Energy Drink Gets A Real Buzz Going,” Jamey Kirby, senior
partner and founder of Redux Beverages, said, “We knew it
[the name] would be controversial; that was the marketing
plan, because young adults and teens love controversy.”
Kirby goes on to say that “…negative media is doing more for
us than any marketing could ever do.” Kirby also revealed
that a "throat-numbing" ingredient is added to the drink to
imitate the effects of the drink’s namesake.
Despite being
legal, Cocaine™
has
280mg of caffeine per 8.4oz. can, which Kirby claims is 350%
more caffeine than in Red Bull, a popular competitor. This
drink is supposed to create a “high” followed by a state of
euphoria within 5 minutes of use. The manufacturer states
that after the initial high, the drinker will get an energy
buzz that lasts for 5 to 6 hours and will experience no
“crash” when the energy wears off. Cocaine’s website also
provides a
variety of
alcohol and Cocaine combinations.
Although legal
and socially acceptable, caffeine is still a drug—and every
drug has side effects. Since one energy drink has as much
caffeine as 6 to 10 sodas, teens often do not realize how
much caffeine they are drinking. Many also do not know how
easy it is to become dependent on caffeine. If a person
ingests high levels of caffeine for three or more days in a
row, and then suddenly stops, that person will go into
withdrawal. Withdrawal symptoms can include headaches, mood
swings, trouble concentrating, irritability, restlessness,
muscle stiffness, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, nausea, and
accelerated heartbeat. While the health hazards associated
with this energy drink are disturbing, parents and
politicians are also concerned that the product’s effects
mimic cocaine use and that the name glorifies drugs.
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