These days, energy drink billboards line many streets across Kabul, catching the eyes of passersby at every turn. Yet behind their bright colors and bold promises, doctors raise serious concerns. They warn that repeated consumption threatens public health and should not become a daily habit. According to medical professionals, regular use of energy drinks directly increases the risk of heart attacks and, over time, can also lead to strokes and other serious illnesses.
Doctors who spoke with the Hasht-e Subh Daily explain that the high caffeine content in energy drinks overstimulates the nervous system. When people consume these beverages regularly, dependency often follows. They believe that public awareness campaigns led by the media could play a key role in reducing consumption by clearly explaining the risks involved.
Medical experts also advise habitual consumers to slowly cut back on both how much and how often they drink energy beverages. They encourage people to replace them with healthier options such as water, lemon water, or green tea.
Bismillah Ghaffari, one of the doctors, says energy drinks may create a brief feeling of alertness, but their long-term effects harm both the body and the mind. He explains that regular use can trigger anxiety, chronic headaches, poor concentration, insomnia, sleep disturbances, and delays in falling asleep.
Ghaffari says, “Energy drinks contain caffeine, sugar, ginseng, guarana, B-group vitamins, carnitine, artificial colors, flavorings, and carbon dioxide gas. While they may appear to relieve physical and mental fatigue, they cause serious damage to the body, especially the heart and the nervous system.”
He adds, “When caffeine combines with guarana, it overstimulates the sympathetic nervous system and increases the release of hormones such as adrenaline and noradrenaline. This process puts pressure on the heart and blood vessels and can lead to high blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, irregular heart rhythms, chest pain, worsening heart failure, and even cardiac arrest.”
Medical assessments show that energy drinks contain more than 150 milligrams of caffeine per liter and often include large amounts of sugar and chemical additives. Beyond visible caffeine, they also contain hidden sources. Guarana, for instance, holds twice the caffeine found in coffee beans.
In recent years, energy drink consumption in Afghanistan has spread widely. People of all ages, including young children and pregnant mothers, drink these sweet, caffeine-heavy beverages with little concern for their health risks. Vendors sell them easily outside schools and hospitals, along busy roads, and in nearly every supermarket. They also appear at wedding ceremonies and official gatherings of Taliban officials, while television commercials and street billboards actively promote their appeal and quality.
At the same time, many Kabul residents say they rely on energy drinks to cope with thirst and daily exhaustion.
Amrullah, a private-sector employee who works night shifts, says he has depended on energy drinks for three years to manage his sleep schedule. He explains that they help him stay awake through the night. “Over the past three years, my consumption has increased a lot,” he says. “These drinks give me a short burst of energy and reduce fatigue. Even though I know they can cause sleep problems and heart disease, I still use them.”
Hilal, a computer teacher at a private school, shares a similar experience. He says he enjoys energy drinks and feels they significantly reduce his tiredness.
The Kabul resident explains, “During the summer, I drank these beverages almost every day. Later, my friends warned me that they might cause weight gain, so I tried to reduce my intake. I did notice changes in my weight, but I cannot say for sure that the drinks were the main reason. Now that the weather is colder and schools are closed, I usually drink one whenever I go out because I feel it helps ease my fatigue.”
In Afghanistan, energy drinks cost between 40 and 150 afghanis, and sometimes more. Popular brands include Red Bull, Sting, Alokozay, Monster, Commando, Attack, and Happy. Advertisements for these products appear on television screens, roadside billboards, and even inside government offices under Taliban control.
Samir, another Kabul resident, says energy drink consumption continues to rise, even though some producers avoid drinking their own products. He says, “Some of our friends own energy drink companies, but they do not consume them. They believe that if people truly understood what these drinks contain, they would never drink them.”
Bibi Zewar, also from Kabul, says she once consumed energy drinks frequently but now limits her intake after learning about their risks. She explains, “I used to drink them a lot, but now that I know they can cause bone loss, I only use them when my blood pressure drops or when I need to regulate my blood sugar. Otherwise, I mostly drink water and tea.”
Energy drink use continues to grow across Afghanistan, even as a recent study published in the American medical journal Neurology reports alarming findings. According to the study, people who regularly consume carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks, and low-calorie desserts experience noticeable declines in memory and thinking abilities. Researchers say these sweeteners can age the brain by up to 1.6 years.
Earlier, British doctors also raised concerns after documenting the case of a healthy man who suffered a stroke after drinking eight energy drinks a day. Medical experts recommend limiting daily caffeine intake to no more than 400 milligrams to avoid the dangerous effects of overconsumption.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
