A six billion dollar industry, consumed in over 164 countries, is sending more and more people to the hospital year after year. In 2011, we consumed more than 4.6 billion cans of a legal substance linked to hallucinations, seizures and heart attacks. “From 2007 to 2011, the government estimates that the number of emergency room visits involving neon-labeled drinks increased from about 10,000 to more than 20,000. Most of these cases involved teenagers or young adults…” ( Daily News). Caffeine is a crystalline xanthic alkaloid. It is a stimulant and psychoactive drug that stimulates our central nervous system. Caffeine is extracted from the coffee plant, as well as tea leaves, and found in a variety of edible plants like guarana berries and guayusa. There is a lot of negativity about this substance, but there is some positive evidence that it may have protective effects against diseases such as heart disease, certain cancers, and Parkinson's disease. When insects consume certain caffeinated plants, it can paralyze or kill them, which has a positive effect on pollinating insects and animals by simulating reward receptors. Although positive effects have been recorded, the negative effects are overwhelming and affect adolescents. Caffeine can actually be absorbed into every tissue in your body and cause anxiety, increase blood pressure, trouble sleeping, curb appetite, affect body temperature and change gastric juice, as well as be a diuretic. The side effect is the consumption of sugar when consuming energy drinks. Sugar in energy drinks ranges from 20 to 34 grams and caffeine 77 grams per 8 ounces. The p...... middle of paper ...... hypothesis that this would reduce consumption. I think social media sites are the most effective and powerful. The reason I believe this is because not only do you see the advertisements designed by the manufacturers, but socially connected people are giving free advice by posting photos of drinking energy drinks and perpetuating the lifestyle that was born from them. . It's not just about wanting to be the life of the party, it's about promoting being socially accepted, more fun, faster, more sporty. Will these drinks do all these things to you? No, and Air Jordan won't make you a better basketball player. However, these myths are still perpetuated through advertising, young people are attracted to them and companies take advantage of them. I only wish health would become more of an issue for these providers, and I wonder how long before they are regulated..