Nowadays, energy drinks have rapidly increased in sales. Also, there are many advertisements that emphasize the effects of energy drinks and they catch people’s eyes. Energy drinks seem to give us some good effects. However, many news and media announced that energy drinks are not safe anymore and they give us many side effects.

First of all, an energy drink is a beverage to supply energy when people feel fatigue. Energy drinks’ major ingredient is caffeine. The daily recommended amount of caffeine is 400mg for adults, 300mg for pregnant women, and 125mg for teenagers, which means three cups of coffee for adults and a cup of coffee for teenagers. Energy drinks’ average capacity is 280ml, and the average amount of caffeine is 120mg. They also have a large quantity of vitamin B1 which deals with stress. When you drink energy drinks appropriately, they reduce sleepiness and fatigue. However, if you drink a lot, it can cause a high heart rate and a rise in blood pressure. If you drink energy drinks over a long period, it could cause insomnia and over sensitiveness and raise blood pressure.

There are two main examples of misuse that are known to us. They are “Boong Boong” and “Bomb” drinks. The “Boong Boong” drink is popular among teenagers. They can easily get the recipe from the Internet. It is a mixture of vitamin C, energy drinks, and sports drinks. To get a stronger effect, teenagers mix more than the appropriate amount. Teenagers drink it to stay awake at night to get a better score in the exam, but after the exam, more fatigue comes to them, so they drink more. Because of this, teenagers are exposed to the side effects of energy drinks. Similar to the “Boong Boong” drink, the “Bomb” drink is a mixture of alcohol and energy drinks. It is a famous drink among adults. Drinking alcohol with an energy drink can increase loss of memory when drinking alcohol.

Many countries have noticed the side effects of energy drinks and they have started to regulate them. In the European Union, energy drinks must have the label “High Caffeine Content.” Also, some countries such as Sweden have a policy that prohibits the sale of drinks which contain caffeine mixed with alcohol. In Canada, there are the warning sign such as “Not recommended for children and teenagers” or “Contains high levels of caffeine” or “Do not drink with alcohol.” The Department of Health in Canada made a video to let people know the dangerousness of energy drinks. There are many regulations about energy drinks.

Korea also started to regulate energy drinks by writing “High level of caffeine” and warnings to teenagers and pregnant women on the labels. However, these regulations are not enough to solve the energy drink problem in Korea. Koreans use energy drinks in a different way like the “Boong Boong” drink, so the government needs policies that fit our problems. Like other countries, we need regulations for teenagers. Also, we have to know the side effects of energy drinks.