The growing popularity of energy drinks among teenagers has raised serious concerns about their potential effects on students’ health. That concern has become even more urgent following the death of 17-year-old Texas student Larissa Nicole Rodriguez. Her tragic death was due to heart complications after drinking around five Alani Nu energy drinks a day. Her parents are now suing Alani and arguing that the energy drink was not properly labeled and caused Rodriguez’s heart problem. As brightly packaged, highly caffeinated drinks become more common in adolescents’ daily routines, many doctors, parents and educators are questioning whether teens fully understand the risks. 

“I depend on energy drinks quite a bit,” junior Lydia Ou said. “I drink around five Celsius energy drinks a week because they help me focus during class and while I’m studying, especially when I have a lot of homework or need to stay awake to finish assignments.”

For many students, that reliance begins as a way to keep up with school demands, but teachers say the appeal runs deeper than convenience.

“[Energy drinks] market towards teens,” biology teacher Adam Babich said. “[Teenagers] don’t have the best ability to make judgments based on critical analysis. Companies see teenagers with erratic sleep schedules and kids who like to game, [and say] let’s pump them full of these energy drinks.”

That pressure does not always go unnoticed, yet recognizing the risks does not necessarily stop students from reaching for another can.

“I honestly think that a lot of students know the risks but don’t really care or believe it,” senior Megan James said. “I think that they think nothing bad will really happen to them, so they don’t listen to the warnings.

Even when students are aware of the dangers, that awareness does not always change their behavior. Babich said that the disconnect may be partly explained by how energy drinks affect the body and brain over time.

“Physiologically, we adapt to need higher levels of caffeine,” Babich said. “Not only is it caffeine, but it’s loaded with sugar, which causes the dopaminergic receptors to release a lot of dopamine, which makes it easier to get addicted.”

Those effects are not just theoretical; national health data shows that energy drink consumption has already led to serious medical incidents among adolescents.

“In 2011, 1,499 adolescents aged 12–17 years went to the emergency room for an energy drink–related emergency,” the CDC said. “Some of the dangers of energy drinks include:

dehydration, heart complications, anxiety and insomnia.”

While health experts warn about the serious physical consequences of energy drinks, students say their popularity is also being fueled by social and cultural influences.

“I think social media has turned energy drinks into a trendy habit,” Ou said. “And many people consume energy drinks to feel like part of that culture. Drinking coffee or an energy drink every morning has become so normalized that few people seem concerned about how much they are actually consuming.”

That normalization, doctors say, can be especially risky for younger consumers whose bodies and brains are still developing.

“Due to children’s developing brains, decreased impulse control and smaller body sizes, they are more susceptible to the effects and risks of caffeine ingestion,” Johns Hopkins Doctor Stephanie Green said. “Children who consume caffeine can have difficulty sleeping and may develop behavioral or mental health issues, such as increased aggression, anxiety, stress and depression. Energy drinks provide those same effects, along with the added negative effects of sugar.”