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8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 12 JANUARY 2020 NEWS JAMES DEBONO LET a medical student tell you what an energy drink is for: partying, and studying. A survey of 305 medical students and foundation doctors has found that 68% consume energy drinks, one-third of which started as early as 11 years of age. The study, published in the Medi- cal School Gazette, says the most common reasons for drinking energy drinks were for mixing with alcohol (37.5%) and during studying and ma- jor projects (30.8%). Noting that participants reported an increase in the consumption of ener- gy drinks around the times of exams and increased studying, the study says educational bodies should "investigate ways in which to help students cope with the pressures of course work in a safer manner." Your people facing long hours of study and pressure related to exams may be attracted by manufacturers' claims that energy drinks are the ulti- mate study aid, "boosting energy, pro- moting wakefulness, increasing atten- tion span and heightening intellect." Furthermore, since energy drinks are unregulated and sold alongside or- dinary soft drinks, their accessibility may be another attractive feature. When asked if they felt that the con- sumption of energy drinks had influ- enced their examination results, 48% of participants felt that they had made no impact on the results, 34% were un- sure, and 17% claimed they had indeed positively influenced their examina- tion results. Only 2% stated that they felt that the consumption of these drinks had a negative impact on their examina- tions. Men are more likely to drink energy drinks than women (82.3% of males as opposed to 58.6% of females). The most preferred brand of energy drink consumed was Red Bull which contains 80mg of caffeine per 250ml (87%). More than half of the partici- pants (63%) stated that their first con- sumption was in the context of a social setting. Energy drinks is a collective term ap- plied to a vast array of caffeinated soft drinks that invariably claim to boost performance, stamina and endurance. Participants who consume energy drinks were more likely to also drink coffee (85.1%), alcohol (88%) and smoke tobacco (18.3%). The majority of the participants (52%) experience psychological side effects due to en- ergy drinks, the most common being stimulating/hyperactivity (42.6%), fol- lowed by anxiety (14.8%). Over half of the participants (54.8%) claimed to suffer from physical side ef- fects. Whilst some studies have shown that caffeine has an enhancing ef- fect on mental health other research has found that anxiety, depression and behavioural problems are higher amongst consumers as opposed to non-consumers. So far the greatest concern regard- ing the consumption of energy drinks is the caffeine content. This is by no means standard with some drinks con- taining as much caffeine as a cup of coffee (around 100mg), right up to as much as 505mg per can. The study shows that the most pre- ferred brand of energy drink con- sumed was Red Bull. Although previous research has found that low to moderate caffeine doses (up to 200mg), can enhance cognitive performance and mood and positively impact speed, accuracy and alertness, other studies report that ex- cessive consumption of energy drinks may lead to negative physical effects such as gastrointestinal disturbances, cardiovascular changes, and insulin resistance. The study concludes that there is pressing need for more informed stud- ies to see whether there is a need for "legislative intervention and control regarding the sale of energy drinks." Moreover, the authors acknowledged that the research was restricted to a narrowly defined group and thus rec- ommended a study which examines the wider population. The study is authored by psychia- trists and mental health specialists Anton Grech, Sally Axiak and Daniel Fondocara and, statistician Lara Pace. jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt It gives you wings: med students say energy drinks are little helpers Medical students survey finds 68% consume energy drinks, one-third of which started as early as 11 years of age "There is pressing need for more informed studies to see whether there is a need for legislative intervention and control regarding the sale of energ y drinks" 99 migrants were rescued in Maltese waters at around 12.45pm yesterday, an Armed Forces of Malta spokesperson told MaltaToday. The migrants remained aboard the Sea-Watch 3, the German-run private rescue vessel, up until going to print. On Friday, the same vessel said on Twitter that 42 mi- grants were rescued from a boat in distress in the Maltese rescue zone at 4am. The rescue team said that the passengers had been at sea for days and told the crew that they had been seeing ships passing by their ves- sel but ignoring them. "We realised there was an Armed Forces Malta ship standing by for three hours already," they said. A spokesperson for the ship said that the rescued mi- grants had not disembarked and were still aboard the ves- sel. "Malta has been asked to act as a safe port for the mi- grants, but as yet we have not received a response," he said. Migrants rescued by Armed Forces The Water Services Corporation said it has uncovered a case of illegal dumping of farm waste in the Gozo sewer. This happened despite the fact that all farmers in Gozo now have access to a state of the art facility developed by the Corporation's specialists, scientists and engineers through which slurry is processed in an environmentally sound manner. "This revolutionary set-up, together with other investments to the tune of hundreds of thousands of euro, has resulted in much cleaner seas to the benefit of the general population and especially the diving industry," the WSC said. A police report with the gathered evidence has been filed. "The Corporation will take the strongest possible action at law to safeguard its infrastructure and the well-being of its workers and the environment," the WSC said. Illegal slurry dumping in Gozo