Why do people drink energy drinks? People often drink them to stay awake and to focus on a task. In addition, these drinks have been marketed to teens and young adults with edgy labels and claims of increased athletic performance and concentration.

But what is really in that can? Sugar and caffeine—and lots of them! Did you know that there are more grams of sugar in a SOBE Adrenaline Rush® energy drink than in a Krispy Kreme® donut? In fact, SOBE has more than twice the amount of sugar.

An energy drink once in a while might not be so bad, but they can cause some side-effects, including difficulty sleeping, upset stomach, headaches, dizziness, diarrhea and anxiety. In some cases, they can even land you in your local emergency department with a fast and irregular heartbeat or chest pain.

So, who needs to be careful not to drink too much caffeine? People who:

• Have heart problems
• Are prone to seizures
• Have anxiety or bipolar disorder
• Take medications for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Athletes beware!

When you are exercising, your body loses fluid from sweating. Caffeine is a diuretic, which means you may lose even more fluid from peeing, which can lead to dehydration. Caffeine can also increase your heart rate, which is often already elevated when you are playing a sport. In some cases, this could send you to the emergency department.

Alcohol and energy drinks: A risky combination

If you combine energy drinks with alcohol you may feel like you are okay to drive a car, but the caffeine will not actually make you less drunk. In fact, mixing the two may make your driving and other activities worse than alcohol alone.

What can you do to stay safe and healthy?

• Read the labels to find out how much caffeine and sugar are in your energy drinks.
• Drink water when you are thirsty, especially when playing sports.
• Never mix energy drinks with alcohol.

If you are like me, it is a source of pride to wait as long as possible to turn on your furnace. This year, though, I did not wait very long because I wanted to be sure our house was warm enough for our infant son.

Melissa’s old, scary furnace (now replaced)

Because we turned it on so early, we did not get our heating system checked before we used it, so today I am going to call our heating service technician to come and do a fall tune up and safety check. Having our furnace checked will ensure that it runs as efficiently as possible, saving us money. More importantly, it will make sure that our furnace runs safely.

A furnace that isn’t running right can be deadly. Carbon monoxide is made when you burn fuels like oil, natural gas and wood. You cannot see or smell carbon monoxide and if you breathe it in you can get very sick, and even die. In addition to having the furnace checked every year at the beginning of the heating season, it is also important to have carbon monoxide alarms installed.

We have a carbon monoxide alarm on every level of our home, but most homes don’t. The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends that you have at least one in the hallway of every sleeping area. They don’t cost much: Most carbon monoxide alarms are between $20 and $50.

Make sure you have the right kind of carbon monoxide alarms and that they are working and placed in the right areas of our home.

Your carbon monoxide alarms should be battery-powered or electric with a battery backup, in case of a power outage. Make sure the alarm is UL approved (UL #2034).

Place a carbon monoxide alarm in the hallway of every sleeping area. It should be plugged in or high on the wall, not covered by furniture or drapes. Check the manufacturer’s recommendations for more detailed information.

Do not place a carbon monoxide alarm in the kitchen. Also keep your alarm away from heating vents and fuel-burning appliances.

Recently, the NNEPC got a call from a middle school where a student had brought in some uranium marbles. Also known as vaseline glass or canary glass, these marbles and similar glass products date back to the 1840s. The glass turns a glowing, rich green color when put under a black light.

Bre Prettis photograph. ©2007, licensed under Creative Commons.

Uranium glass items are often sold on the antique market, through a handful of online sellers and on eBay.

It’s easy see why a teacher or parent might be worried about a kid playing with these yellow-green glass marbles. These marbles do contain uranium, but not enough to be of concern.  Despite often being sold with a package sticker that states “Radioactive Materials,” there is very, very little risk from handling these products.  Uranium is found naturally in the environment, and we actually take in more uranium from food and water than you would get from these marbles and glassware.

There is little need to be worried about handling or being around uranium marbles and glassware.

Guest poster Patrick Cote is a class of 2013 PharmD candidate from Creighton University. He rotated with the Northern New England Poison Center in June 2012.