School is a lot. From large workloads to after school practices, the school day can seem overwhelming for students. Because of this, students have been turning to energy drinks to help deal with the stress. However, these stress relievers are more complex than they seem. 

Energy drinks, such as Alani or Monster, are very common to see in our community. These drinks have different effects depending on the person “[I feel] more awake,” Junior Sylvia Ford said. “ It’s more like a calm for me.”

 While students may drink energy drinks to boost their mood, they actually can cause harm to one’s mental health. “If you drink them at the right time, you can get a lot of work done,” Freshman Sydney Shafer said. “I also think they can hurt because [when] you are hyper, your stress levels are [higher].”

Despite these adverse effects, energy drink companies continue to market towards the adolescent population. This targeting makes teens more susceptible to buying energy drinks, continuing the concerning cycle. “Celebrities [endorse] energy drinks,” Shafer continued. “That’s going to appeal to the younger crowd.” Ford agrees that these companies target teens with their marketing. ”They make pretty cans,” Ford said.

However, most students who continue to drink these drinks are not educated about the risks. A lack of education on this topic is a serious issue that has negatively impacted students’ habits. “If they do know, they just don’t care,” Ford said, “but I doubt the people that drink them know.”

John Hopkins Medicine says that energy drinks can cause sleep disturbances, high blood pressure, and increased heart rate in teens.   It is important that people start to shed light on this topic. When future students are educated on the negative effects of energy drinks, they are able to make better, more educated choices. “Don’t get into a habit of drinking too many,” Shafer said.