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Nexus (Camosun College)

VICTORIA (CUP) -- In the last couple of years, beverage manu- facturers have found several loop- holes in Canada's Health and Foods Act, allowing the distribu- tion of "enhanced health drinks." The target demographic? You!

Products such as Red Bull, Rockstar, and Bawls have become so popular that companies such as Coca-Cola have jumped on board with products like Tab and Full Throttle.

The draw of a quick fix for drowsiness and ad campaigns that label energy drinks as the thing to drink at parties has made these beverages one of the fastest grow- ing trends in the industry.

"We've noticed a marked increase in the sale of energy drinks -- peo- ple come in first thing in the morn- ing to pick them up," says Mona Jensen, cashier at the bookstore at Victoria's Camosun College book- store. "I'm not sure if they're worse than coffee, but sales are way, way up from what they were. I recog- nize the same people coming in every day to pick them up."

As with many trends, companies are fighting for the biggest share of the market.

Competing for the most sales is done by cramming more caffeine, stimulants, and "health supple- ments" into larger cans.

"I used to drink two a day -- I can't afford to buy them any more though," says student Roland Stacey. "They get you going but

LIFESTYLES

ngerize this

are a tool to be respected."

The dosage of caffeine in most of these drinks is slightly less than an equivalent amount of coffee.

A can of Coke has about a third of the amount. B

But it's not just the amount of

caffeine that could be harmful if too many energy drinks are con- sumed.

"We don't recommend them or suggest selling them on campus,"

warns Selina Chan, a registered dietitian. "In general we don't rec- ommend having energy drinks as a health supplement.

“For most normal people, it's not needed. There's a lot of extra-calo- ries in a typical energy drink -- if

you don't have an active lifestyle these drinks can easily contribute to a weight problem."

Some people worry that students might be overdoing it when it

Oct. 24, 2007 ©

comes to energy drinks.

"I'm a little concerned, really," says Jensen. Boasting only a little more sugar and a higher calorie count than most soft drinks, the boost that comes from these prod- ucts comes from the other ingredi- ents.

Before energy drinks, the only place someone would find taurine in the marketplace would be in cat food. Cats, unlike humans, can't produce taurine and must consume it in their daily diet.

Drinking a can of Red Bull isn't going to count as a proper supple- ment; to get the appropriate amount of B-vitamins a well-bal- anced diet is required.

These vitamins are found in vari- ous grains, leafy green vegetables, beans and peas, citrus fruits, meats, fish, seafood, and beer.

Using various energy drinks as mixer is a much-discussed topic. Canadian health authorities clearly state that energy drinks should not be mixed with alcohol due to the medical problems that may arise.

To put things simply, drinking alcohol (a depressant) and an ener- gy drink (a stimulant) together causes a shock to the system.

The caffeine in energy drinks is a diuretic, meaning it limits the body's ability to absorb water.

The resulting dehydration can hinder the body's capability to metabolize alcohol, boost the bloodstreams toxicity, and conse- quently result in the next day's hangover.

It seems energy drinks are mostly

hype.

When Johnny stops walking and Stella isn't so stellar

with glasses of water. Drink slowly deal with a friend who seems dan-

By Alex Hamlyn The Eyeopener (Ryerson University)

TORONTO (CUP) -- "To alco-

hol: the cause of — and solution to’

— all of life's problems." — Homer J. Simpson

Drinking certainly seems like a prerequisite to having fun for any- one between the ages of 16 and 25. Combine that with a strong metab- olism and that youthful feeling of invincibility, and it hardly seems like there's any downside at all. Unfortunately, the reality is that heavy drinking can lead to long- term health issues, and more immediately, the possibility of alcohol poisoning.

You might think alcohol poison- ing only happens to crazy people who drink rubbing alcohol. In fact, more than 1,000 North American university students die every year from alcohol poisoning, and tens of thousands more suffer perma- nent or serious injuries due to extremely heavy alcohol intake. So

before you go gallivanting around frosh activities wearing a T-shirt that says "Beer Me" and a funnel taped to your mouth, take some precautions.

Eat a good sized meal before drinking heavily. Break up drinks

which no doubt end in a dead end.

(don't just chug nonstop), and just be smart. Don't let people pressure you into drinking too much.

Of course, even with all this in mind, you could still find yourself heavily intoxicated, or having to

gerously drunk. Never be afraid to call 911 and ask for help if you think someone's life is at stake. Watch out for serious confusion and drowsiness, vomiting, seizures, overly slow or irregular breathing and skin that's cold to the touch, bluish or overly pale.

Someone can be seriously ill before all the symptoms are pres- ent.

Attempt to keep the person awake, do not leave them alone, try to get them to drink water and, most importantly, do not try to induce vomiting.

A common misconception is that puking will clean the system — but it's possible for the person to choke on their vomit or fatally damage their lungs.

Make sure any medical personnel are aware of how much alcohol has been consumed and how long someone has been sick.

Moderation is ultimately key. Be smart, and don't let yourself ecome a Statistic just so you can look cool.