It’s a Thursday night and at one in the morning a young patron at The Steer stumbles up to the bar and shouts for another “Red Bull and Vodka!” Not far away, a student under serious pressure struggles to learn five weeks of Spanish for the massive exam the following day. She was unable to acquire her favorite upper, Adderall, so instead she compromises with a SoBe No Fear, hoping to rely on the caffeine high to get her through the night.

Both of these people are banking on relatively new yet wildly popular energy drinks. The market is now a real force; use has increased 700 percent since 2000. Five hundred brand-new drinks will be emerging worldwide just this year. Energy drinks are generating $3.4 billion per year in sales, and with companies looking to expand their offerings, this explosion shows no signs of stopping.

Millions of young adults choose these caffeine-laden alternatives to coffee or soda for a number of reasons. Some say they dislike the taste of coffee but still want a large dose of caffeine. Others like the drinks because they mix well with vodka or Jagermeister and give a boost of energy to accompany the effects of the alcohol. Yet avid users of energy drinks often overlook the possibility of addiction or overdose, dangers that are compounded when alcohol enters the mix.

For junior political science major Chris Holtz, energy drinks were an essential part of his sophomore lifestyle. “I didn’t start my homework until midnight or one a.m.,” Holtz said. The high concentration of caffeine in his drink of choice, AMP, which is billed as a souped-up Mountain Dew by Pepsi-Cola, helped him stay up all night to get his work done. He would inevitably not sleep well when he finished. “At the height of my use I would probably drink four or five a week,” Holtz said.

So what can account for this burst of energy? One 250 ml can of Red Bull, which now sells an amazing 2.5 billion cans a year, contains 1000 mg of taurine, 600 mg of glucuronolactone and 80 mg of caffeine. The caffeine content of this drink is about the same as two cans of coke, or about one regular sized coffee. Most college students are familiar with the stimulatory effects of caffeine, but as for the rest of the multi-syllabic ingredients, the jury is still out. Scientists are unaware of the effects large amounts of taurine have on people. According to Dr. Peter Horvath, Associate Professor of nutrition and Director of Graduate Studies at the University at Buffalo, “Taurine is an amino acid that is needed for eye and brain development in very young mammals, especially cats. There really is no research supporting its use in energy drinks.”

Although the caffeine content and amount is listed on many of the cans, there are other sources of caffeine in the beverages, such as guarana. Guarana contains caffeine, and its caffeine content is about three times greater than an equivalent amount of coffee. Although guarana is listed as an ingredient in many energy drinks, oftentimes accompanied by the amount, they fail to tell you how much caffeine you are getting from the ingredient. This deceives users, and the exact amount of caffeine you are getting from one drink is sometimes unclear.

Most people realize that energy drinks provide a large dose of caffeine, but that doesn’t stop drinkers from mixing them with alcohol. Senior sociology major Danielle Kennedy said that her favorite alcoholic drink is cherry vodka and Red Bull. “They taste like a sweet tart, you can pound them so easily,” she said. Although ahe is aware of the high amounts of caffeine she is getting when drinking these beverages, she said that the benefits of the mixture outweigh the risks. “Not only do they taste good, but you never feel like you’ll pass out at the bar.” Kennedy said she would drink an average of five Red Bull and vodkas if planning to be out all night. Each drink requires a whole can of Red Bull, totaling five Red Bulls in one night.

The results of mixing the stimulant effect of energy drinks with a depressant like alcohol are not always pleasant. Those who are under the influence of both substances may not feel as drunk as they really are, increasing the risk of accident or alcohol poisoning. While users may feel sharper, many studies have shown that the faculties are just as impaired whether an energy drink is imbibed or not. The Swedish government studied energy drinks and declared that they should never be used with alcohol. Other nations have classified many energy drinks as medicinal because of their astronomical caffeine content.

Not everyone is united in a negative opinion of energy drinks, however. In a 2004 Amino Acids medical journal study, scientists discovered that energy drinks “have positive effects upon human mental performance and mood.” They said it was the mixture of caffeine, taurine, and glucuronolactone that increased cognitive performance in the study group. In addition, the assertion that a series of sudden deaths in Europe were Red Bull-related has been dismissed. That doesn’t mean there aren’t other dangers.

Both Kennedy and Holtz said that they are not physically addicted to energy drinks, but Holtz said that he was mentally addicted. “I felt that it was so late that I had to use them in order to maintain my schedule and lifestyle,” Holtz said. Dr Horvath explains that caffeine is addictive. “Two [energy drinks] a day does not have real health risks, but one thing that is often not appreciated is that even at two a day you develop a tolerance and can go through withdrawal symptoms [from caffeine]. So headaches can occur without the energy drink when you stop taking them.” Holtz said he never had any withdrawal symptoms and that his inability to sleep was the only noticeable drawback.

The popularity of Red Bull has led other beverage producers to begin creating and marketing their own brands of energy drinks. Competitors are creating larger drinks with higher levels of caffeine, seemingly in a game of one-upmanship. AMP normally comes in a 16-ounce can, but a 24 oz can called a “Big Rig” is available as well. The Big Rig contains 214 mg of caffeine, and 450 mg of guarana extract.

One beverage company, Redux Beverages, recently began marketing a drink they aptly named Cocaine, as it contains an amazing 280 mg of caffeine. According to the Cocaine website, its claim to fame is to be 350 percent stronger than Red Bull. Whether the drink is as good as other drinks seems to be a moot point, as Redux’s choice of name has brought it a bevy of media attention.

There are those who are unfazed by marketing campaigns and choose their beverages based on quality. Energy drink guru Dan Mayer reviews energy drinks and posts them on his website, www.bandddesigns.com/energy. The website has reviews of dozens of energy drinks and lists a comprehensive explanation of why he likes or dislikes them. Cocaine was given a five out of ten. “This drink burns hot, hot like a lava lamp,” wrote Mayer. He gave Red Bull a nine out of ten and declared it the reigning king of energy drinks.

Although it is unclear how many college students use energy drinks, a recent study by the Simmons group revealed that 31 percent of US teens use them—that’s 7.6 million teens. Perhaps energy drinks are so popular amongst teenagers because many young people dislike the taste of coffee, but still want that energy rush caffeine provides without having to swig three Mountain Dews.

Then again, it may be that our generation just needed a new, innovative way to keep us awake longer at the bars so we can continue dropping cash on caffeine-burdened liquor drinks. Their popularity has also made them widely available. When asked why he didn’t just use caffeine pills to stay awake and get his work done, Holtz replied, “because they’re not as delicious, and I can’t get them out of vending machines.”