Caffeine poses threat

Everyone has one of those days where they just feel miserable. Senior David Waiter has those days but he usually goes to a local convenience store and gets his favorite energy drink, Monster.

“The moment it touches my mouth it makes me hyper and I get this tingling feeling in my arms and fingers,” said Waiter.
“I love energy drinks, they turn me on,” said Waiter. Many students at AHS, like Waiter, love energy drinks because they provide a quick and easy way for students to wake themselves up. However there are a number of students who do not enjoy these drinks.
“I don’t really like energy drinks because they don’t taste that good and they make me ‘crash’ really hard after I have one,” said senior Mike Moya.

The thing about energy drinks is that they affect different people in different ways. One person could have a number of drinks in one day and not feel any of the negative side effects.

“One day I had six energy drinks and I didn’t crash or anything, but I was really wired,” said Waiter. Some people may have only one drink and then “crash” really hard.

“After I have an energy drink I am charged for about 15 minutes, and then I just crash really hard.” This is one of the reasons that AHS and other schools in VA have placed a ban on energy drinks in their schools.

“I don’t touch them,” said Health teacher Gabriel Romano. “Some of those drinks contain Ephedra: a diet supplement which if too much of it is consumed you can overdose and die.”

The ban on energy drinks is not only at AHS but at all FCPS schools and a number of other school districts across the nation. In Fairfax County the FCPS Risk Management office dropped the ban on energy drinks due to the dangerous effects caused by many of them. All energy drinks contain large amounts of caffeine and some with levels high enough to cause an upset stomach and other gastrointestinal distress. They can also cause heart palpitations, irritability, nervousness, and insomnia.

“One time I chugged a Jolt and my heart started racing,” said senior Mike Reel. “And if I had one right now; I would go insane.”
“I don’t think the ban is necessary, said Moya. “I don’t see what is so harmful about them and even though I don’t like them, I think they could help other kids who are effected differently by them.”

The fact of the matter is that some of these drinks can be extremely harmful. One drink called Red Dawn will not only give you a great boost of energy when you hit the field, but it will also land you a trip to the emergency room. This drink is so dangerous that if it is used past its recommended dosage the effects it has on your brain can kill you.

On the athletic field athletes are not allowed to drink energy drinks, not just because of the ban but because of the supplements.
“It’s like taking steroids, it’s cheating basically,” said Athletic Director Angelo Hilios. Drinking energy drinks during the season is grounds for suspension. It is like taking steroids because of the way energy drinks affect your body, as well as being dangerous in the first place.

So whether you’re drinking a Monster, a Red Bull, or any other energy drink make sure you think twice about what you are putting into your body.