(Vox) – If you believe the ads, energy drinks turn ordinary schnooks like you and me into lean, mean, git-her-done machines. They promise to give you wings, unleash the beast, make you the boss of time, and enable the crushing of your enemies.

No wonder sales have boomed in recent years, growing by 73 percent from 2018 to 2023. Nearly half of consumers drink them multiple times a week. In addition to the offerings at retail and convenience stores, chains like Starbucks, Dunkin, and Caribou Coffee are adding energy drinks to their menus. In the next five years, energy drink sales are on track to reach $30 billion in the US.

The vast majority of the people who drink energy drinks — mostly teens and men aged 18 to 34 — don’t die as a result. Occasionally, though, some do. (Read More)