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Meier, Barry. "Safety Becomes a Concern With High-Caffeine Drinks." New York Times 23 Oct. 2012: n. pag. Web. Energy drink sales are starting to get unhealthy. The amount of caffeine in these drinks have been unregulated up until this point where many countries are taking action to avoid dangers for both adults and children. The problem up until now has been based upon many things. The Food and Drug Administration had categorized energy drinks as "dietary supplements" or beverages because there is no specific place for "energy drink" which is merely a marketing term. However, there has been a death due to a 14-year-old girl's consumption of two large cans of Monster Energy within 24 hours, inciting her mother to file a lawsuit against the company. The annual number of emergency room visits in the USA linked to energy drinks rose to over 12,000 in 2009, and the beverage consumption is increasing. In the past year, overall sales of energy drinks in the USA grew to $8.9 billion, which is a record level.

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My reaction to this feels peculiarly subdued. I have never had one of these energy drinks and can't say that I know the feeling of having 1,000mg of caffeine coursing through me. However, it does astound me that there was no regulation placed on these drinks before. Caffeine is a drug, and an overdose can kill. I had never thought about the fact that an "energy drink" may not have an appropriate classification, but now that I realize it, I can see why the Food and Drug administration couldn't manage to enforce restrictions. Infuriating is Monster Energy's claim that their drug is harmless. Though they admittedly didn't kill the girl, the fact that they claim that their energy drinks are safe is simply wrong. If people are going to the emergency room because they had a few drinks, it is clear that something is wrong to me. I find these "dietary supplements" unhealthy, unappealing and not safe or smart.

Author, No. "Women dies from drinking 10 liters of coke a day, coroner says." Fox News 13th October 2012. n.pag. Web A women, Natasha Harris, died in February from drinking too much Coca-Cola. According to the woman's family, she was addicted to the soda, and went into withdrawals when she did not get her "fix" of the soda. At the time she died, Natasha was thirty years old, and had lost all of her natural teeth to decay from soda. Drinking the soda did not only affect her own health, but the health of her children as well. For one, she set a bad example for her growing children, and two, at least one of her children was born without enamel on their teeth due to the excessive consumption of Coca-Cola. Natasha Harris died from the soda, and the amount she drank each day was equivalent to having 2 pounds of sugar and 970 milligrams of caffeine. Having too much of anything is harmful, however, many people are addicted to sodas, and the many health complications that may come from having too much can be extreme.