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Charged Up and Buzzed

  • Writer: Amira Brown
    Amira Brown
  • Jan 8
  • 3 min read

By AMIRA BROWN


Stimulating the nervous system is the job of a drug. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant. Therefore, caffeine is a drug.  The sad fact is that most people do not consider this logical fact to be true.


In the U.S. the average adult consumes a startling nine pounds of coffee per year. In addition, energy drinks, known for containing copious amounts of caffeine,  are surging through the market at a rate of eight gallons per year making them an even worse culprit of caffeine addictions, especially in teens and young adults.


Prime Energy is a hydration company founded by Logan Paul and KSI. Both Paul and KSI are influencers with a high density of followers on the social media platform, Youtube where they each have over 20 million subscribers. Paul joined Youtube  in October of 2013 and has since continued his journey of creating short video segments that circulate around comedic skits, daring stunts, and short vlogs. 


Both Paul and KSI joined the wrestling world and it took their careers into an entirely different direction which has ultimately taken over the media. KSI began his wrestling career in 2018 at a Youtube wrestling fundraiser and in less than four years later he partnered with paul and released the first Prime Energy drink. 


Marketing techniques are used to expand their product to a broader audience. According to the 42 Signals wellness blog, Prime has always partnered with popular influencers and athletes as well as sponsoring events that involve sports and music positioning itself as a lifestyle brand. Although Prime does not explicitly market themselves as healthy, who they partner with and scenarios their partners drink the energy drink in.  Prime contains over 40 milligrams of caffeine and, although the average cup of coffee contains over 95 milligrams of caffeine, Prime contains additives such as sweeteners, preservatives, and flavorings.


There are various ongoing lawsuits against energy drinks discussing the issue with Prime content toxic per- and poly-fluoroalkyl (PFA) chemicals that are at three times the limit a human should in an entire lifetime according to Reckon News outlet which sourced legal documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Paul’s statement regarding this lawsuit was that the PFAs are not found within the liquid but, instead, are a component of the plastic they use for the cans. 


Beyond Prime there are many other popular energy drink brands that market towards a younger audience such as Alani, Bang, Ghost, C4, and Red Bull. Vanessa Moran is a Washingtonville senior who is an avid consumer of energy drinks. Moran expressed that she tries to “only consume one energy drink per day; however, the amount can increase to up to three depending on what [her] plans are for the day.” 


There’s a large array of flavors within each brand which is another appeal that keeps consumers well consuming. Imani Mack is a former Washingtonville student who drinks the below  U.S. average of coffee consumption with around one cup per day. She argued that it is better than any energy drink since it eliminates the usage of artificial elements depending on the brand.


Caffeine is a commonly used way to stay energized, however, there are many natural alternatives. Both coffee and energy drinks contain caffeine, however with the extra additives it is clear that coffee is a great alternative for caffeine addicts in comparison to the chemicals found in energy drinks that can ultimately worsen the addiction.


 
 
 

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