Energy drinks and vaping are two lifestyle habits that have caused widespread debates in recent years about their health impacts. While both point to benefits like energy boosts or stress relief, their potential health risks have increasingly been scrutinised.
This article will explore different aspects of energy drinks and vapes to help readers better understand their implications for well-being and the environment.
What are Energy Drinks?
Energy drinks are beverages produced to boost energy, mental alertness and physical performance. The first modern energy drink, Lipovitan-D, introduced by Taisho Pharmaceutical Company in Japan in 1962, was marketed as a medicinal tonic designed to combat fatigue and contained caffeine, B vitamins and taurine. It set the foundation for the energy drink industry, catering to a broad audience worldwide, including young adults, athletes and professionals seeking an energy boost for various tasks.
What are Vapes?
Vapes, also known as electronic cigarettes, are battery-powered devices that heat a liquid called e-liquid to produce an aerosol. This mimics the experience of smoking to help smokers quit traditional tobacco smoking.
While most high-quality e-liquids contain nicotine, flavouring and other chemicals, nicotine-free options are also available. These e-cigarette devices, which started to gain commercial success in the 1980s, range from disposable to refillable models.
What are the Health Risks of Energy Drinks?
An energy drink can contain as much as 80mg of caffeine in a 250ml can —48 mg more than in a classic Coco-Cola 330ml can. The high levels of caffeine and sugar in energy drinks are associated with severe health risks when consumed in large quantities, including increased heart rate, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, obesity, seizures and even stroke.
There have also been growing concerns about cardiovascular health among teenagers and young adults who drink energy drinks excessively. According to the BBC, a twenty-one-year-old university student developed heart failure after drinking four 500ml energy drinks a day for two years.
Data also suggests that a third of children in the UK who consume energy drinks every week have been linked to poor mental and behavioural health. Its consumption also has shown adverse effects on academic performance.
What are the Health Risks of Vapes?
Although the long-term effects of vaping remain uncertain, they are considered less harmful than traditional tobacco smoking, as they lack tar and carbon monoxide. Vaping is only suitable to help adults quit smoking, and when considered in this context, it is the lesser of two evils.
Many e-liquids, especially in inferior products, can contain harmful chemicals in addition to nicotine. They have also been linked to side effects like headaches, coughing, nausea and throat and mouth irritation. Seeking a premium e-liquid from a bona fide supplier is a must.
As the UK has banned under-18s purchasing vapes and the ban on disposable vapes takes effect in June 2025, it is anticipated there may be a lean from some groups towards unregulated or black-market products. These products often contain harmful chemicals associated with respiratory issues such as chronic bronchitis, lung irritation and cardiovascular disease.
Comparing Addiction Potential
Drinking energy drinks regularly can cause dependency, with withdrawal symptoms like headaches, fatigue, sweating, jitteriness and heart palpitations. Vapes also pose an addiction risk due to nicotine; however, as a vehicle to transition from cigarettes and eventually give up smoking, the nicotine element is necessary to facilitate weening off.
Overall, while caffeine dependency is relatively common and socially accepted, nicotine addiction presents more risk due to its addictive nature. If vaping becomes established as a social norm among some groups who are not using it to quit smoking, it risks introducing those people to nicotine addiction, which may later yield costs for the NHS.
How Do Marketing Energy Drinks and Vapes Differ?
Energy drinks are often advertised as performance enhancers, focusing on themes of athleticism and productivity. Even though some packaging references that they’re unsuitable for children, they are frequently targeted at a younger audience through endorsements from trending athletes, influencing those under 18 to purchase them. They often downplay potential health risks like heart issues caused by excessive caffeine consumption.
On the other hand, vape products are marketed with a focus on encouraging smokers to make the switch from harmful tobacco smoking to a less toxic alternative. However, vapes’ sleek, colourful design and promoted and advertised sweet-flavoured e-liquids like fruity, candy and dessert flavours often attract younger users, including non-smokers, causing a rise in addiction to nicotine.
Purchasing Energy Drinks vs. Vapes?
While energy drinks are still easily accessible to people of all ages in convenience stores, supermarkets and vending machines, the UK government is banning over 150mg of caffeine per litre for under-16s due to growing concerns over the levels of caffeine and sugar impacting children’s mental health.
In contrast, governments have implemented restrictions on the display of vapes, which are usually kept behind the counter in physical stores or sold through online platforms, where age verification measures are enforced due to stricter regulations on nicotine-containing products.
Do Energy Drinks Impact the Environment More Than Vapes?
Energy drinks primarily contribute to environmental harm through their packaging, often made of aluminium cans or plastic bottles. There are growing concerns that these materials cause too many greenhouse gasses during production.
While aluminium cans and plastic bottles are recyclable, not all are appropriately recycled, leading to substantial waste in landfills and beaches. Environmental campaigners claim tens of thousands of littered items are found on beaches each year.
In contrast, vaping devices generate e-waste, including disposable cartridges, batteries and electronic components. These materials are difficult to recycle and can release toxic chemicals like battery acid, lithium and mercury into the environment if improperly discarded, polluting soil and water.
So, Are Energy Drinks More Harmful Than Vaping?
Determining whether energy drinks are more harmful than vaping depends on factors like packaging, environmental impact, addiction and marketing. However, the harm ultimately depends on individual use patterns and the broader social and ecological context, making it vital to approach both products with responsibility and informed decision-making.