The demand for caffeine has increased so high in the U.S. that manufacturers just created a new way for people to energize. Eagle Energy Vapor contains a little amount of caffeine with natural ingredients such as guarana, taurine and ginseng, e-cigarette users can now inhale just like "Red Bull of lungs."
According to TIME, the energy drink business will grow to more than 11% by 2019, to about $26.6 billion in revenue for a year.
This alarms medical experts since these energy-boosting beverages contain synthetic caffeine. Just like Red Bull, caffeine inhalers have unknown chemical substances that might be dangerous to regular users.
The New York Times reports that many caffeinated snacks, drinks, especially the newly developed vape have not yet acquired safety approval from the FDA and other public-health agencies.
Until now, even e-cigarettes, the alternative device used by those who want to supposedly save themselves from lung cancer are not yet proven to be 100% safe due to the synthetic content.
"The way our bodies handle caffeine that is inhaled can be very different from when caffeine is in our food or drink," said Mary M. Sweeney, a postdoctoral researcher at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "Even if an inhaled product delivers the same dose of caffeine as a cup of coffee, it may have different subjective effects for people because the time-course might be different."
According to a recent federal data, the use of e-cigarettes among middle and high schoolers has tripled in just one year.
"What troubles me most about this particular product is that the flavor composition appears to be similar to candy; thus, it could be attractive to children and adolescents," said Steven Meredith, a postdoctoral student at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.
"The long-term effects of caffeine on the developing brains of children and adolescents are still relatively unknown. But, caffeine consumption interferes with sleep, and sleep is necessary for learning. Thus, long-term cognitive effects of excessive caffeine consumption at a young age is certainly plausible."
Until the FDA finally approves the use of this product, experts advise people for now to just stick with coffee.
