A six billion dollar industry, consumed in more than 164 countries, is sending more and more people to hospital year after year. In 2011 alone, we consumed over 4.6 billion cans of a legitimate substance that is linked to hallucinations, seizures and heart attacks. “From 2007 to 2011, the government estimates that the number of emergency room visits involving neon-labeled beverages increased from approximately 10,000 to more than 20,000. Most of these cases involved teenagers or young adults…” (Daily News). Caffeine is a crystalline xanthine alkaloid. It is a stimulant and psychoactive drug that stimulates our central nervous system. Caffeine is extracted from the coffee plant and tea leaves and is found in a variety of edible plants such as guarana berries and guayusa. It has substantial addiction and many people are classified as addicts. There is a lot of negativity about this substance, but some positives show that it may have protective effects against diseases such as heart disease, some cancers, and Parkinson's disease. When insects consume certain plants that contain caffeine, it can paralyze or kill them, which has positive effects on insects and pollinating animals by mimicking reward receptors. Although positive effects have been recorded, the negative effects are overwhelming and affect adolescents. Caffeine can actually be absorbed into every tissue of the body and cause anxiety, increase blood pressure, sleep disturbances, curb appetite, affect body temperature and change stomach acid, as well as being a diuretic. The secondary effect is sugar intake when consuming energy drinks. Sugar in energy drinks ranges from 20 to 34 grams and caffeine 77 grams per 8 ounces. The scariest half-paper guess would be that it would decrease consumption. I think social media websites are the most effective and powerful. The reason I believe this is not only that you see the ads designed by the manufacturers, but that socially connected people give free advice by posting pictures of consuming energy drinks and perpetuating the lifestyle that was born out of it. It's not just about wanting to be the life of the party, it's about promoting social acceptance, being funnier, faster and more athletic. Will these drinks do all these things to you? No, and Air Jordon won't make you a better basketball player. Yet these myths are still perpetuated through advertising, young people gravitate towards it, and companies profit from it. I just wish health would become more of an issue for these providers, and I wonder how long it will be before they are regulated.