I've heard that the consumption of energy drinks like Red Bull in the U.S. is creating serious problems for young people. The risk of caffeine intoxication is not small when people who don't have enough sense to pull up their pants because their underwear is showing are imbibing. Until I returned to the U.S., I didn't know that these types of things were so popular.
In Japan, energy drinks had been around pretty much for the entire 23 years I was there. Tiny little brown bottles of instant spunkiness kept tired businessmen alert as they toiled away into the wee hours. What I didn't realize until I read the English on the side of this box of Ukon Power was that they are probably also often utilized as hangover cures. You'd think this would be an obvious conclusion to reach, but, being a teetotaler myself, it just never occurred to me that much of this industry may be built around boozehounds who are looking to find their "get up and go" in a bottle after too many "nomikai" (drinking parties).
"The risk of caffeine intoxication is not small when people who don't have enough sense to pull up their pants because their underwear is showing are imbibing."
ReplyDeleteWater is now up my nose :)
Water doesn't go there, Wally! ;-)
ReplyDeleteThose tired businessmen are also the ones in need of hangover cures, given their business drinking culture.
ReplyDeleteI rely heavily on canned coffee here. Juggling college and its academic rigors with a part time job always leaves me tired so I use it for the caffiene. Bought the ukon stuff one time and my boyfriend informed me it was for when you had a hangover haha. Have you ever gotten a peak at the drink itself? It is a crazy neon yellow that is so vivid it looks like watery paint. Didn't taste too bad though.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen the drink itself. I'm not a fan of energy drinks, or potions or elixirs that are supposed to boost your body. I'm actually surprised that the Japanese go for them as much as they seem to (based on the amount of them in stores) because students were constantly telling me they wanted to get vitamins and minerals from food and therefore would not take supplements. These drinks are pretty much supplements in liquid form (with caffeine and sometimes without).
ReplyDeleteIt sounds pretty scary from what you describe!