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Ted Westmoreland, Retired Army Special Energy Drinks: The Benefits and the Risks
Operations Forces Medic, Saves 1-Year-Old Girl
Prepared by the Division of Clinical Affairs, Defense and
While on a vacation with her grandparents in Myrtle Veterans Brain Injury Center, Silver Spring, Maryland
Beach, South Carolina, Avianna Norris snuck outside to
go swimming. She was found in the pool, and her grand- In this 15-page Information Paper, the DVBIC states that
mother started CPR. Ted Westmoreland, who, happened “Energy drinks (ED) have quickly become an integral
to be staying next door, rushed to help. There was no part of the adolescent/young adult athletic and Military
pulse or respirations. He continued CPR for 10 minutes culture. Many athletes are convinced that EDs enhance
with no signs of life. Finally, she took a breath. “Of the performance, and Servicemembers as well as college stu- You have chosen the hard road. As a Tactical
people that I’ve worked on who were near drownings, dents frequently use EDs as stimulants to counter sleep Medical Professional, simply doing your job means
I’ve never seen that much water come out of anyone, deprivation, or to improve academic performance. The that the chips are down. Your patients deserve
and it came out of her, and you know, she’s alive today, active ingredients in most EDs are caffeine, and to a
so it’s awesome. It’s awesome to be a part of that,” said lesser extent taurine and sugars. Several reports suggest the best! It takes an elite Operator to think under
Westmoreland. that the combination of these ingredients is more active pressure and perform in extreme environments.
than the caffeine alone. Despite the positive attributes of
Westmoreland is well-known to the SOF community, EDs, there are increasing reports of serious and poten-
and he is one of the authors of a recent JSOM article: tially life-threatening side effects of EDs. Most recently Be prepared to apply what you know.
“Tragedy into Drama: An American History of Tourni- there also has been a dramatic increase in the use of ED/
quet Use in the Current War.”* alcohol combination drinks, and there are preliminary
studies that suggest important adverse effects with this
combination.”

“This Information Paper is a comprehensive review Your initial training was only the first step.
of available studies that have examined the risks and Now it is time to augment your ability
benefits associated with EDs, and with ED/alcohol
combinations.” to confidently apply your knowledge of
unconventional medicine when needed. The
Take-away points include that “most EDs are safe when Journal of Special Operations Medicine
consumed in moderate quantities,” “Adverse effects of (JSOM) is the only academic, peer-reviewed
EDs are most closely associated with the dose of caffeine medical journal in the world dedicated to the
consumed,” “in general, the combination of ED with
alcohol should be avoided because the ED can mask the unique working environment of the Tactical
level of intoxication, and the combination may be as- Medical Professional. Take your training to
sociated with increased risk-taking behavior,” and “. . . the next level with current, relevant updates
it is reasonable to consider 3 public policy options: cap- – as they happen.
ping ED caffeine levels, creating a public education cam-
paign, and increasing regulatory scrutiny regarding the
manufacture and labeling/dosing of EDs.”

Show your team
how much you care.

Subscribe to the JSOM and
inform your thinking.

*Source: http://wspa.com/2016/07/01/greenville-man-saves-1-year
Source: https://www.logsa.army.mil/psmag/pshome.cfm. -old-from-drowning/.

xiv Journal of Special Operations Medicine Volume 15, Edition 3/Fall 2016
www.JSOMonline.org