Motor Bikes spitting gravel as they leap and twist from ramps, revved up race cars, bucking bulls and, of course, babes in bikinis: These are the images presented on Monster Energy Drink’s website.These images are dripping with manly power: Looking at these advertisements   I can almost taste the adrenaline and testosterone that must be somehow magically brewed into this beast-inducing drink. Monster Energy Drink is amazing. Or so I thought.  The truth is, I recently consumed a Monster and found myself anything but energized. It was awful. My mouth felt as if it had been assaulted by a swarm of belligerent bees, and it actually tasted like it looked: toxic sludge. It’s widely accepted that these drinks are terrible for your body, so I won’t go too into depth on that.  But for reference, a 24 Oz can of Monster contains 81 grams of sugar, 540 mg of Sodium, 3000 mg of Taurine, 600 mg of Ginseng and a 7500 mg “Energy Blend”. This is a blend of substances like Glucose, Caffeine and Guarana.  The scary-sounding substances like Taurine, Ginseng, and Guarana are just Caffiene-producing plants that stimulate your Endocrine system even more (yay).  So it’s obvious that these drinks wreak havoc on your body, plus they taste awful!  Maybe I’m missing the point, but how is consuming that even worth it?  Advocates for such beverages claim that Monsters make you feel energized, and even more so, that they need them to get through a busy week of school.  Hold on a second. Do you really “need” that drink?  Does your life depend on this toxic beverage?  You didn’t hear it from me, but that sounds an awful lot like something a drug addict would say.  I realize that our society’s reliance on addictive substances is a much larger issue, and that energy drinks and heroin are definitely the same thing, but my point is still valid.  The notion that you would need a substance like this, that your well-being depended on a stimulant such as Monster, is truly a scary thought.  I propose that teenagers who consider themselves dependent on these drinks, should try some healthier alternatives.  Natural beverages such as coffee and tea provide a good amount of caffeine, without the nasty amounts of sugar and hard-to-pronounce stimulants.  Every once in a while, I’ll drink a cup of black tea to help get through early Jazz Band rehearsals or a cup of coffee when my homework load proves to be a daunting task. You can complain about coffee being bitter, or tea not having enough flavor but at least they’re healthier. Plus, there are plenty of tasty coffee flavors and sweet tea variations out there that make the natural choice more enjoyable.  Anything is better than an energy drink, at least in my opinion. Because, personally, I don’t enjoy hooking my tongue up to car battery.