What are energy drinks?
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Energy drinks are              beverages like Red Bull, Venom, Adrenaline Rush, 180, ISO Sprint,              and Whoopass, which contain large doses of caffeine and other legal              stimulants like ephedrine, guarana, and ginseng. Energy drinks may              contain as much as 80 mg of caffeine, the equivalent of a cup of              coffee. Compared to the 37 mg. of caffeine in a Mountain Dew, or the              23 mg. in a Coca-Cola Classic, that's a big punch. These drinks are              marketed to people under 30, especially to college students, and are              widely available both on and off campus.[/FONT]
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             Are there short-term dangers to drinking              energy drinks?
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Individual              responses to caffeine vary, and these drinks should be treated              carefully because of how powerful they are. Energy drinks'              stimulating properties can boost the heart rate and blood pressure              (sometimes to the point of palpitations), dehydrate the body, and,              like other stimulants, prevent sleep. [/FONT]
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Energy              drinks should not be used while exercising as the combination of              fluid loss from sweating and the diuretic quality of the caffeine              can leave the user severely dehydrated. [/FONT]
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Know what              you're drinking. Energy drinks are not necessarily bad for you, but              they shouldn't be seen as "natural alternatives" either. Some of the              claims they make like "improved performance and concentration" can              be misleading. If you think of them as highly-caffeinated drinks,              you'll have a more accurate picture of what they are and how they              affect you. You wouldn't use Mountain Dew as a sports drink. And a              drink like Red Bull and vodka is more like strong coffee and whisky              than anything else.[/FONT]
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             What happens when energy drinks are              combined with alcohol?
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Energy drinks are              also used as mixers with alcohol. This combination carries a number              of dangers:[/FONT]
             
- [FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]Since                energy drinks are stimulants and alcohol is a depressant, the                combination of effects may be dangerous. The stimulant effects can                mask how intoxicated you are and prevent you from realizing how                much alcohol you have consumed. Fatigue is one of the ways the                body normally tells someone that they've had enough to                drink.[/FONT]
- [FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]The                stimulant effect can give the person the impression they aren't                impaired. No matter how alert you feel, your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is the                same as it would be without the energy drink. Once the stimulant                effect wears off, the depressant effects of the alcohol will                remain and could cause vomiting in your sleep or respiratory                depression.[/FONT]
- [FONT=Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, san-serif]Both                energy drinks and alcohol are very dehydrating (the caffeine in                energy drinks is a diuretic). Dehydration can hinder your body's                ability to metabolize alcohol and will increase the toxicity, and                therefore the hangover, the next day.[/FONT]