Doctors urged to warn parents, teens about energy-drink danger

Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - Teens are driving the $5 billion a year energy drink market.

They increased their consumption of the heavily caffeinated drinks by 16 percent from 2003 to 2008.

35 percent of teenagers now regularly consume them and they don’t know about their potential dangers.

A new study released by the American Association of Pediatrics says high doses of caffeine inside the energy drinks could cause palpitations, anxiety, insomnia, elevated blood pressure, and digestive problems – plus energy drinks contain high amounts of sugar.

But the study points to even greater risks.

One quarter of college students say they mix energy drinks and alcohol with bad consequences.

The caffeine-induced high can lure them into a false sense of security because they don’t realize how drunk they are – and that increases the risk of alcohol related accidents.

Doctors are urged to discuss the dangers of energy drinks with their teenage patients – especially when mixed with alcohol.