Drank is a

soft drink A soft drink (see § Terminology for other names) is a drink that usually contains water (often carbonated), a sweetener, and a natural and/or artificial flavoring. The sweetener may be a sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit juice, a su ...

sold in the United States and Canada. It is marketed as an "Anti-Energy" drink which causes relaxation as opposed to a sugar or caffeine jolt. Drank contains three active ingredients:

melatonin Melatonin is a natural product found in plants and animals. It is primarily known in animals as a hormone released by the pineal gland in the brain at night, and has long been associated with control of the sleep–wake cycle. In vertebrates ...

, rose hip, and

valerian root Valerian (''Valeriana officinalis'', Caprifoliaceae) is a perennial flowering plant native to Europe and Asia. In the summer when the mature plant may have a height of , it bears sweetly scented pink or white flowers that attract many fly specie ...

. Drank's slogan is "Slow Your Roll".

Introduction and availability

Drank was introduced and manufactured by Innovative Beverage Group of Houston, Texas in January 2008. It was widely available in many convenience stores and saw brisk sales. In 2012, a new flavor, "Island Time", was introduced, but to a lukewarm response. Poor sales of both flavors saw the product disappear off store shelves in 2013. In 2014, Drank was sold to Source Financial Group, L.L.C., who reintroduced the brand but greatly reduced its availability. Currently, it is only sold online or in very select convenience stores in the Houston, TX and Saginaw, MI area.

Controversy

Drank and similar commercial products have been criticized for their potential to serve as gateways to the dangerous illegal concoctions of cough syrup colloquially known as

purple drank Lean, also known as purple drank, purp, sizzurp, syrup, wock, oil, joy juice, and several other names, is a recreational drug beverage, prepared by mixing prescription strength cough or cold syrup containing codeine and promethazine with a s ...

.Jemimah Noonoo
Anti-Energy Drink Fuels Concerns Over Marketing
, ''Houston Chronicle'', November 28, 2008; retrieved from commercialalert.org website on November 27, 2009Boyce Watkins
Company Makes Money from Deadly Urban Trend: "Sipping Syrup"
, AOL Black Voices, September 29, 2009Kim Horner
Anti-energy drink hard for some mental health experts to swallow
''Dallas Morning News'', February 18, 2010 At a

mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health ...

conference in February 2010, Ronald Peters of the

University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

Health Science Center said of Drank: "They're taking the name, and they're trying to market it to young people." He described the beverage as "the worst thing I've ever seen on the street since the making of

candy cigarette Candy cigarettes are a candy introduced in the late 19th century made out of chalky sugar, bubblegum or chocolate, wrapped in paper and packaged and branded so as to resemble cigarettes. Some products contain powdered sugar hidden in the wrapper ...

s".

Effects on health

Health experts have warned that the herbal ingredients in Drank and similar beverages induce drowsiness and

sedation Sedation is the reduction of irritability or agitation by administration of sedative drugs, generally to facilitate a medical procedure or diagnostic procedure. Examples of drugs which can be used for sedation include isoflurane, diethyl ether, ...

, which can be dangerous when combined with medications or products that do similar things, such as

alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...

or anti-depressants. Gregory Carter, a neurologist on the clinical staff of the

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UT Southwestern or UTSW) is a public academic health science center in Dallas, Texas. With approximately 18,800 employees, more than 2,900 full-time faculty, and nearly 4 million outpatient vi ...

, told the ''Dallas Morning News'' that there is enough

in Drank to induce sleepiness, and that this effect could occur quickly because the melatonin is in dissolved form. Regarding valerian, Carter found that the content was probably "not enough to have a strong effect". It has also been suggested that valerian may be

hepatotoxic Hepatotoxicity (from ''hepatic toxicity'') implies chemical-driven liver damage. Drug-induced liver injury is a cause of acute and chronic liver disease caused specifically by medications and the most common reason for a drug to be withdrawn fro ...

, i.e. it could cause liver damage.

References

{{Grape soft drinks American soft drinks Grape sodas Products introduced in 2008 Relaxation drinks