Every energy drink I've ever tried has tasted like CRAP. Not worth drinking, no matter what else they do, if you ask me. They all have the same horrible overtones in their taste. Nasty.

Besides which, the strange combinations of (supposedly stimulant) herbs they put in all those things make me nervous. Nobody has tested this stuff to see what it really does. Just cause it's herbal doesn't mean it's safe.

And I totally agree that any drink with caffeine in it should be labeled. I have nothing against caffeine (I LOVE my coffee), but it really bugs me to not know how much of the stuff is in most of the things I drink. It has an effect on the body, and too much can be harmful, so it makes sense that the amount of caffeine should be labeled on packaged beverages.

Not that teenagers are likely to pay attention to a label if they've decided they want to drink something, but still...

Mountain Dew amp'd is DELICIOUS! Definitely the best tasting energy drink out there.

This "problem" would be a non-issue if the amount of caffeine, in mg, was required to be printed on the ingredient label. If some of the drinks contain 300mg, it would certainly be prudent -- NoDoz or similar only have 200mg. I have nothing against caffeine, but if I was drinking 300mg and not knowing it, I might be pretty jittery later. Yuck.

Why can't food-makers use common sense and list quantities of known bio-active materials in their products.

I thought food items were required to have the ingredients listed...calories, and such -- leaving off caffeine would seem to be an omission.

I too enjoy the pick me up that the energy drinks give me but steer away from them now that I know what it leads to. It is a drug and should be treated as a drug.
If kids are becoming addicted to it to the point they feel they NEED it but know it will make them sick or crash later, than their should be limitations or cut offs. I have a teen daughter that loves them, but I am also a reformed drug addict and their is no difference in addiction. You try it, you like it, you want more, it becomes an everyday thing, you gotta have it, you get cranky if you dont get it, and then it makes you sick to your stomach but you still drink them knowing the consequenses.DUH! Snap out of it people.......

I loved Dr. Pepper. Drank a 32oz every day. But when I missed a day... I paid for it with a hugh headache. So I quit. I don't drink ANY soda anymore. Water is my drink. I've lost 30 pounds and feel great. I don't need the energy pick up anymore. It's been almost 2 years and I will not ever go back to drinking empty calories. Try it. It is amazing!

Red bull must have a phenomenal promtional budget and they aim it all straight at high school students. "...gives you wings". Yeah, right.

With the normal can of soda containing 9-12 teaspoons full of sugar I can imagine these current 'jolt' drinks are even more overloaded.
As far as caffeine is concerned, it has zero nutritional value and the body gets a more natural pick me up with many other valued foods. For example, when driving long distances,to keep from nodding off, an apple is recommended.
For a real get up and go in the morning wet your finger and put the tip in a light socket. Out the door you go with zero calories.

Does avoiding "strong drinks" ring a bell to anyone. What is good about these drinks? They offer you a short term "boost" but at what cost? I am a teacher and have seen students drink several of these in a row trying to get buzzed and watch as their hands shake uncontrollably and then 20 minutes into class they pass out and crash in class. These can't be good for you. Your body also doesn't recognize calories that you drink and so energy drinks and soda are major contributors to adolescent obesity. Sounds like a lose, lose situation to me in drinking this stuff.

I recently went to our local High School Homecoming Parade and Red Bull had girls waiting at the end of the parade route- by the parking lot where the kids were....and they were handing out Red Bull as fast as they could from large Red Bull shaped coolers. They are TARGETING our youth. If they can get our children hooked at a young age they become repeat consumers.

Also: I found it interesting that the story said that an 8 oz energy drink contained 80 mg. of caffeine...and a 32 oz Big Gulp of Mountain Dew contains 146 mg. If my math is correct then...if a young person drank 32oz of an energy drink they would be consuming 320mg of caffeine. That is scary! Parents- we need to be on the alert of what our kids are eating AND drinking.

I recall back in the day, that my local high school had the lighting on the football field paid for by Pepsi Co. in exchange for replacing the Coke machines with Pepsi machines instead.

I remember being supremely irritated that I could no longer get my beverage of choice, which at the time was Dr. Pepper.

I made the switch to Mountain Dew.

Now, many years later, what do you think my beverage of choice is? You got it! It's Mtn. Dew.

The drink companies know that lifelong habit are often times formed at this young age.

As long as the kids will drink the stuff, they'll "Dew" whatever it takes to get their hooks in them.

Beer is much better for you anyway!

I find that adequate rest at regular intervals is a good alternative to energy drinks. When I don't get a good night's rest for one reason or another, a 20-minute power nap in the middle of the day really helps out. I could understand people using an energy drink on rare occasions when sleep is absolutely out of the question. When energy drinks become part of a lifestyle, I think there's a problem.

I totally agree with Concerned Teacher. How can this crap be good for you? one time when driving home from a scout campout we stooped at a rest area to eat the sack lunches we had packed for this occasion. Most of us ate a sandwich or two, but one kid just brought money. he went into the store thingy behind a gas station and bought two large cans of Monster. lunch. for the rest of the way home he was either twitching uncontrollably or totally asleep. when he awoke I asked him if he substituted an energy drink for a meal often. he looked at me as though I came from another planet and then said "Don't we all?"
Drinking energy drinks is not a good habit. it screws up your body's functions and can be addictive. but what disturbs me even MORE is that an average middle schooler considered energy drink dependency normal. What a time to be alive, huh?

Has anybody ever heard the term "Moderation", it's seems to be an anomaly in Utah. An excess of anything is not good for you. There are plenty on non "strong drinks" and foods that when consumed in excess are very bad for you. Go eat 20 bananas in an hour or try drinking a gallon of milk in one sitting and see what happens. Consumption of caffeine has shown an increase in memory retention and alertness as a result. A study conducted by the US Air Force has shown that it helps pilots when they are on missions that last up to 24 hrs at a time. But the key is moderation. For caffeine to be effective, you shouldn't consume more than one cup per hour. (the study I read used coffee so I don't know the exact mg of caffeine). A kid that eats too much chocolate would also have issues during school. I'm so sick of the people that want to ban everything because they can't control their children. It's not everyone else's responsibility to make sure YOUR child learns right and wrong, it's YOURS.

My fear mongering by the “keep you scared press”. If these guys were around during WWII, the headline would have been "Coffee drinking at dangerous levels with today's GIs". Why aren't they doing a study on "the dangers of the coffee pot at work"? And for all those concerned parents out there...I would be more worried about indulging your kids than energy drinks, it is far more damaging in the long run.

Johny Utah...where did you get your information? And this moderation thing...its against everthing I have learned in DARE - just once WILL actually hurt you. I've got an idea! How about we all go get some sleep! I know it's not that simple - I loose a lot of sleep with the busy schedule. But, really, energy drinks just make it worse; we need to get rid of these temporary fix ups - not because parents can't control their kids (though that's often true) but more importantly because its just not good. Oh - and Johny Utah? I wasn't being sarcastic; I really do want to know where you got your information.