20k ER Visits Related to Energy Drinks

[Royd The Noyd]

In 2011...

Proposed Actions for the US Food and Drug Administration to Implement to Minimize Adverse Effects Associated With Energy Drink Consumption.

AuthorsThorlton J, et al. Show all Journal
Am J Public Health. 2014 May 15. [Epub ahead of print]

Affiliation
Abstract
Energy drink sales are expected to reach $52 billion by 2016. These products, often sold as dietary supplements, typically contain stimulants. The Dietary Supplement Protection Act claims an exemplary public health safety record. However, in 2011 the number of emergency department visits related to consumption of energy drinks exceeded 20 000. Nearly half of these visits involved adverse effects occurring from product misuse. Political, social, economic, practical, and legal factors shape the landscape surrounding this issue. In this policy analysis, we examine 3 options: capping energy drink caffeine levels, creating a public education campaign, and increasing regulatory scrutiny regarding the manufacture and labeling of energy drinks. Increased regulatory scrutiny may be in order, especially in light of wrongful death lawsuits related to caffeine toxicity resulting from energy drink consumption. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print May 15, 2014: e1-e6. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2014.301967).

 

[Aleksandar37]

Partially due to misuse and general stupidity on the part of the consumer, but also companies ramming in as much caffeine as they thought they could get away with. The issue is that this will affect companies that make quality pre-workouts that are based on science.

 

[mr.cooper69]

I'm also guessing a lot of the energy drink users who presented to the ER were anxiety-prone. If you look at actual mortality from energy drinks vs this 20,000 ER visits, it's quite clear that this is an inappropriate use of medical costs...which I'm guessing is from people becoming a nervous wreck that their HR is elevated, etc

 

[z28spd]

Can't legislate out stupidity. More wasted tax dollars from paternalistic government.

 

[De__eB]

I'm also guessing a lot of the energy drink users who presented to the ER were anxiety-prone. If you look at actual mortality from energy drinks vs this 20,000 ER visits, it's quite clear that this is an inappropriate use of medical costs...which I'm guessing is from people becoming a nervous wreck that their HR is elevated, etc

This is certainly a huge aspect of this.

The average 16 oz. energy drink has what, 160-250mg of caffeine? (80-125mg/serving)

That is well within safety parameters, so it's pretty obvious that the overwhelming majority of ER visits are due to:

-Misuse (Do not drink more than 1 can within <x> amount of time warning label that's on every energy drink)
-Anxiety

How is this a hot button issue, when there are hundreds of thousands of ER visits related to alcohol consumption every year?

 

[Royd The Noyd]

This is certainly a huge aspect of this.

The average 16 oz. energy drink has what, 160-250mg of caffeine? (80-125mg/serving)

That is well within safety parameters, so it's pretty obvious that the overwhelming majority of ER visits are due to:

-Misuse (Do not drink more than 1 can within <x> amount of time warning label that's on every energy drink)
-Anxiety

How is this a hot button issue, when there are hundreds of thousands of ER visits related to alcohol consumption every year?

To save the children. But to counter the act of drinking 24 beers probably won't kill you, it's the actions under the influence that are more likely to kill you. Drinking 12 energy drinks in a short period of time might actually kill you. There are a few instances of suicide each year by attempting to OD on caffeine.

 

[mr.cooper69]

To save the children. But to counter the act of drinking 24 beers probably won't kill you, it's the actions under the influence that are more likely to kill you. Drinking 12 energy drinks in a short period of time might actually kill you. There are a few instances of suicide each year by attempting to OD on caffeine.

The toxic threshold for alcohol is actually probably less than caffeine. If you're using energy drinks, it's acting almost as an IV drip of caffeine, which means you will get nausea and vomiting prior to lethal plasma levels. With alcohol, you actually can depress such reflexes (the spins are due to something wholly different).

 

[Royd The Noyd]

The toxic threshold for alcohol is actually probably less than caffeine. If you're using energy drinks, it's acting almost as an IV drip of caffeine, which means you will get nausea and vomiting prior to lethal plasma levels. With alcohol, you actually can depress such reflexes (the spins are due to something wholly different).

CDC says 1.2 million ER visits in 2006. So I guess it is a lot more.

 

[jbryand101b]

I've been drinking energy drinks for the last 10 years no er visits yet

 

[SwolenONE]

Good point on the anxiety prone users, some people just cant handle stims. And then some of us need them a couple times a day haha.

Seriously though, I think we need to emphasize personal accountability more in our nation. The companies shouldn't be made out to be evil when related news stories break, rather the consumers should be better educated.

 

[USPlabsRep]

In 2011...Proposed Actions for the US Food and Drug Administration to Implement to Minimize Adverse Effects Associated With Energy Drink Consumption.AuthorsThorlton J, et al. Show all JournalAm J Public Health. 2014 May 15. [Epub ahead of print]AffiliationAbstractEnergy drink sales are expected to reach $52 billion by 2016. These products, often sold as dietary supplements, typically contain stimulants. The Dietary Supplement Protection Act claims an exemplary public health safety record. However, in 2011 the number of emergency department visits related to consumption of energy drinks exceeded 20 000. Nearly half of these visits involved adverse effects occurring from product misuse. Political, social, economic, practical, and legal factors shape the landscape surrounding this issue. In this policy analysis, we examine 3 options: capping energy drink caffeine levels, creating a public education campaign, and increasing regulatory scrutiny regarding the manufacture and labeling of energy drinks. Increased regulatory scrutiny may be in order, especially in light of wrongful death lawsuits related to caffeine toxicity resulting from energy drink consumption. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print May 15, 2014: e1-e6. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2014.301967).

Red bull Vodka

 

[Royd The Noyd]

Red bull Vodka

Too old for that now.

 

[USPlabsRep]

Too old for that now.

I'm older for that now!

 

[methusaleh]

Is this referring to wimpy, gas station-grade, mainstream "energy" drinks? The ones I' sure most of us can drink a truckload of and not feel a thing? Or real energy drinks found only in supp stores, like Redline?

 

[De__eB]

It's referring to gas station energy drinks...red bull...monster....etc

 

[kenny76]

A 16 oz monster only has 140 mg caffeine. Im sure thats childs play for most of us here.

 

[McBurly]

I'm curious to see what kind of health problems arise from chronic use of energy drinks/stimulants over the next 10+ years. Seems like energy drinks are the new thing like smoking once was.

On a side note with so many people slamming down stimulants I'm curious if there should be concern for kidney function. Seems like there are a lot of things you can take to help aid the liver (NAC, Milk Thistle, etc) but what about kidneys?

 

[Peppers]

Me 2. I drink them every single day. Religiously

 

[rosemont83]

Used to drink energy drinks all the time.
The sugary ones were the best.. Amp, full throttle, monster, NOS. Got into redbulls and started drinking 2 of the 20oz cans a day..

Energy drinks got me fat.
Lol

 

[snagencyV2.0]

How is this a hot button issue, when there are hundreds of thousands of ER visits related to alcohol consumption every year?

simply because: this falls into the "unregulated" supplement industry, hence operator-error (just like the error in focus and data of this whole charade on energy drinks) goes by the wayside, and the industry and the products become a blind target

I got an idea: why don't we propose a study, that studies operator error and the impact on these ER visits, rather than the study of X amount of caffeine and/or other stimulants, in order to study the underlying causal reality and enlighten us with studious understanding....

 

[mr.cooper69]

simply because: this falls into the "unregulated" supplement industry, hence operator-error (just like the error in focus and data of this whole charade on energy drinks) goes by the wayside, and the industry and the products become a blind target

I got an idea: why don't we propose a study, that studies operator error and the impact on these ER visits, rather than the study of X amount of caffeine and/or other stimulants, in order to study the underlying causal reality and enlighten us with studious understanding....

What's operator error? Never heard of this in stats (srs)

 

[mr.cooper69]

I'm curious to see what kind of health problems arise from chronic use of energy drinks/stimulants over the next 10+ years. Seems like energy drinks are the new thing like smoking once was.

On a side note with so many people slamming down stimulants I'm curious if there should be concern for kidney function. Seems like there are a lot of things you can take to help aid the liver (NAC, Milk Thistle, etc) but what about kidneys?

Energy drinks are water and caffeine in essence. Chronic effects of caffeine are well known. It pretty much breaks even for cardiovascular disease unless you are going waaaaaaaaaay overboard, and it significantly reduces the risk of neurological problems. Overall, caffeine is quite healthy.

Secondly, caffeine has virtually no effect on the kidney (not even physiological diuresis) so I'm not sure where you're going with that.

 

[snagencyV2.0]

What's operator error? Never heard of this in stats (srs)

exactly
operator error takes many forms of course - such as faulty or irrelevant parameters and controls in studies themselves

operator error, in the classic sense:
take ephedra, and the steve bechler issue ~ a decade ago..
dude was grossly overweight, and drastically dehydrated, running around in 106 degree weather while not drinking fluids -- while concurrently ODing on large amounts of ephedra...all in an effort to get in shape/drop fat/make the team
this was the final straw and the springboard in the effort to get ephedra banned - all that was harped upon, was the fact that a 23y/o individual should not be keeling over from a heart attack....meanwhile, no attention was paid to the surrounding circumstances of just why it happened

bechler was responsible for his own demise, thru sheer idiocy...NOT ephedra

operator error - gotta love it

 

[De__eB]

simply because: this falls into the "unregulated" supplement industry, hence operator-error (just like the error in focus and data of this whole charade on energy drinks) goes by the wayside, and the industry and the products become a blind target

I got an idea: why don't we propose a study, that studies operator error and the impact on these ER visits, rather than the study of X amount of caffeine and/or other stimulants, in order to study the underlying causal reality and enlighten us with studious understanding....

I'm not seeing how that could be used to advance anyone's political career, proposition rejected!

 

[McBurly]

Energy drinks are water and caffeine in essence. Chronic effects of caffeine are well known. It pretty much breaks even for cardiovascular disease unless you are going waaaaaaaaaay overboard, and it significantly reduces the risk of neurological problems. Overall, caffeine is quite healthy.

Secondly, caffeine has virtually no effect on the kidney (not even physiological diuresis) so I'm not sure where you're going with that.

I realized I was not very clear and left out the examples of people I know/work with who abuse energy drinks/products. I work with a guy that takes adderall for ADD and will still drink 4+ red bulls before noon. There are roughly 10 other people I work with that go out binge drinking nearly every night then come to work and survive off of energy drinks all day.

I guess I have just been under the assumption that all stimulants can put stress on the kidneys. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

 

[HIT4ME]

I always laugh at people when they talk about "energy" drinks. I have a family member who claims she has a friend that once "OD'd" on energy drinks and wound up in the hospital and was told to never drink them again. I always laugh at this. It is amusing. What about the people who drink a dozen cups of coffee every day? That is at least the equivalent of 2-3 energy drinks and both are well within the safety limits of anything.

Another thing to note - I drink energy drinks. I am not going to see a doctor unless it is in the ER. I just don't go to the doctor - it is too expensive mostly and too time consuming and frustrating to boot. If I see a doctor, something has gone seriously wrong. If I happen to have an energy drink that day and mention it - it may get reported by the doctor and go into this "energy drink related ER visit" data.

 

[T-Bone]

I always laugh at people when they talk about "energy" drinks. I have a family member who claims she has a friend that once "OD'd" on energy drinks and wound up in the hospital and was told to never drink them again. I always laugh at this. It is amusing. What about the people who drink a dozen cups of coffee every day? That is at least the equivalent of 2-3 energy drinks and both are well within the safety limits of anything.

Another thing to note - I drink energy drinks. I am not going to see a doctor unless it is in the ER. I just don't go to the doctor - it is too expensive mostly and too time consuming and frustrating to boot. If I see a doctor, something has gone seriously wrong. If I happen to have an energy drink that day and mention it - it may get reported by the doctor and go into this "energy drink related ER visit" data.

What constitutes and "Energy drink" though?. I remember several years ago seeing stories on the news about people drinking Redline RTDs and not following the directions or the warning labels. Redline is certainly a whole hell of a lot different than just coffee. How can you make such a generalized statement that both are well within the safety limits of anything?.

 

[HIT4ME]

T-Bone, I overstated, and you got me. It is always you or coop, haha.

Yes, you are right - there are some drinks out there that have other things in them. But my point is, most of the **** out there is just over-hyped caffeine drinks, and most people may drink 1-2/day. LOTS of people drink tons of coffee and soda and think nothing of it.