Hello, Internet!
My name is Melissa Turner, and I am an English major/Journalism minor at BYU - Idaho. When I'm not here at school, I'm slaving away as a barista at Caribou Coffee back home in Minnesota.
My job back home is what inspired me to write this blog. See, I've noticed over the years just how dependent America has become on caffeine. It really is fascinating when you think about it. Whatever happened to good old-fashioned healthy eating and exercise as a means for energy? Coffee has been around for years. It's nothing new. The new fad, however, lies in energy drinks. America seems to thrive on bottled energy these days. Is it possible to bottle energy? Can one really achieve the same degree of physical and mental stamina, not by regular exercise and healthy eating, but simply by downing an exquisite concoction of caffeine, sugar, and herbal stimulants? Energy drink companies all over the nation would reply with a resounding “yes,” and millions of Americans would agree. The consumption of energy drinks has become a rapidly growing fad in America and in many other countries all over the world, with little indication of slowing down. Since the introduction of Red Bull to the U.S. in 1997, the sale and consumption of energy drinks has skyrocketed to shocking highs. According to a report by Zenith International, the annual world energy drink consumption reached 906 million gallons in 2006, increasing 17% from the previous year (Roethenbaugh, 2007). The widespread consumption of these products must lead consumers to wonder what they are putting into their bodies and what the real long-term effects of these ingredients are. These drinks contain atrocious levels of caffeine and sugar, along with other stimulants, with blatant disregard for current FDA regulations and the safety of consumers. There are literally hundreds of energy drink brands on the market today. Consumers need only pick their poison.
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