Imagine this: “Joe” works for your company full-time and has another job where he works 25 hours a week. He consumes energy drinks because of his busy schedule. Is that a potential problem?
A new government report says it might be.
The report says the number of people seeking emergency medical treatment after consuming energy drunks doubled between 2007 and 2011.
The report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration notes that in 2007, 10,068 people made energy-drink-related emergency department visits. In 2011, the number climbed to 20,783.
The large amount of caffeine in the drinks can cause insomnia, nervousness, headache, fast heartbeat and seizures.
The majority of energy-drink-related ER visits involved either “adverse reactions” or misuse or abuse of drugs. It’s not uncommon for people who have consumed too many energy drinks to have other drugs in their systems.
How much caffeine do these drinks contain?
- Energy drinks vary from 80 to 500 milligrams of caffeine per container
- a five ounce cup of coffee has 100 mg
- there’s 50 mg in a 12-ounce cola.
Among the effects of energy drink overdoses: taking more risks.
Health and safety professionals can discourage use of energy drinks by explaining to workers that the perceived benefits are largely just marketing messages rather than proven scientific facts.
