Every morning, Chamblee students rely on different things to wake them up. Some depend strictly on their alarm clocks, but others count on breakfast or coffee. If all of these options don’t work, students have to find alternative methods. 

“I don’t drink coffee or tea, so [energy drinks] are the next option,” said Lirina Curri (‘23).

Energy drinks are in-demand caffeinated beverages that come in a variety of brands. 

“Energy drinks help me because they boost my energy and therefore help me function throughout the day and do what I need to get done,” said Alex Nguyen (‘24).

Many students who are late risers found these drinks to be lifesavers for waking up early. 

“They usually help me because I’m kind of a low dragging person in the morning. When I drink them, it’s just easier for me to get energy, get going, and get pumped up for what I’m about to do,” said Abigail Barber (‘22).

Waking up is even more strenuous after having a late night, and taking a few sweet sips can aid in pushing through the fatigue. 

“I think they taste really good, but if I don’t get a good night of sleep then they keep me awake,” said Megan McCloskey (‘24).

Apart from helping students wake up and get ready for school, drinking these sugary drinks gives athletes motivation for their practices. 

“Energy drinks give me a boost of energy for workouts and they raise my heart rate to help me warm up,” said Ian Combs (‘25).

These drinks are also a good source of liveliness and get athletes excited for their games. 

“I do competitive cheerleading, so usually we have to wake up early in the mornings for competitions. I usually drink energy drinks before that to get myself hyped up,” said Barber. 

Although many students praise the boost of energy the drinks provide, the multitude of negative health risks can not be overlooked. 

“They’re just bad for you in general, they don’t have any protein. I personally like to drink Monsters and they just have a ton of sugar and no nutrients, maybe some vitamins in there,” said Sammy Hubbard (‘22). 

These sugar-filled cans can also have negative effects on their consumers’ health. 

“I have a really bad heart, so sometimes it makes my heart rate too high and it’ll make me really sick. But most of the time it doesn’t,” said Barber. 

Drinking too much sugar can also create a bad sleep cycle. 

“When I drink energy drinks, I can’t go to sleep at night,” said Combs. 

Some students address these drawbacks and have a more enlightened idea of how energy drinks work. 

“Well, it’s kind of like a psychological thing, right? They probably don’t actually help you. They just give you a little bit of a sugar rush. But if you’re drinking it, you’re gonna think that you’re getting more energy. So it’s kind of a placebo effect,” said Hubbard.

Although most people drink energy drinks in the morning after they wake up, plenty of students drink them later in the day. 

“Usually I’ll drink [energy drinks] during the afternoon. You know, when you come off your coffee high and then need more energy,” said Hubbard

Along with the different times they are consumed, Chamblee students drink a variety of different energy drink brands.

“I drink Red Bull, Celsius, and sometimes Monsters,” said Trinity Walls (‘24).

Many students spend plenty of money on them each time they need an energy booster. 

“A can is about two dollars and fifty cents, so I probably pay ten dollars every week,” said Hubbard. 

Most students are in the same price range, spending from five dollars to about 30 dollars each week. Other students buy cans in bulk so they can easily access them every day.

“I don’t spend money on them because my parents buy them, but they buy big packs of Red Bull,” said Walls. 

Overall, drinking energy drinks has turned into a lifestyle for select Chamblee students. 

“I crash really early so that I can drink another one the next day,” said Curri.