Getting energized to call 911.

• Position: Your Life - College students' consumption of energy drinks

Over the last decade, energy drinks--such as Red Bull, Monster, and Rockstar--have become nearly ubiquitous on college campuses. The global market for these types of drinks currently exceeds $3,000,000,000 a year and new products are introduced annually.

"The principal demographic for energy drinks is young adults ages 18-25, but they're nearly as common among younger teens," reports Kathleen E. Miller at the University at Buffalo (N.Y.) Research Institute on Addictions. "This is a concern because energy drinks typically contain three times the caffeine of a soft drink and, in some cases, up to 10 times as much. They also include ingredients with potential interactions such as taurine and other amino acids, massive doses of vitamins, and plant and herbal extracts."

Frequent energy drink consumers (six or more days a month), according to Miller's findings, were approximately three times as likely than less-frequent drinkers or nondrinkers to have smoked cigarettes, abused prescription drugs, and been in a serious physical fight in the year prior to the survey. They reported drinking alcohol, having alcohol-related problems, and using marijuana about twice as often as nonconsumers. They also were more likely to engage in other forms of risk-taking, including unsafe sex, not using a seat...