Introduction:
The popularity of energy drinks in Poland has been growing since they entered the European market in 1987. Energy drinks contain bioactive substances, such as caffeine and taurine, which significantly increase the efficiency of the human body. The aim of the study was to assess the consumption of energy drinks and their impact on well-being in a selected group of students.

Material and Methods:
The study was conducted in January–February 2015 in Wrocław and included 1263 students at the age of 18–28. The data were collected using an internet survey prepared by the authors, which included information about the gender of the respondents and the type of university. Questions referred to the frequency, circumstances, purpose and effect of energy drinks consumption. Students were also asked to assess the possible harmfulness and side effects of energy drinks.

Results:
Half of the respondents consumed energy drinks occasionally (50.7%); however, only 16.0% of the students replied that they had never drunk them prior to the survey. A total of 52.2% of the respondents indicated that the examination session was the time when they consumed increased amounts of energy drinks. This trend was related to the need to provide the body with more energy (68.3%) and to reduce the feeling of sleepiness(55.5%), which is particularly important during study periods. As many as 54.7% of the respondents who consumed energy drinks noticed their side effects, among which the most common were: palpitation (63.3%), sleeping disorders (45.3%), and hand tremors (41.2%). The majority of the respondents admitted that energy drinks could be harmful (94.5%).

Conclusions:
Given the sides effects of energy drinks, establishing a minimum age limit for their purchase should be considered. Information about the side effects and the maximum dose per day should also be available for potential customers.