Districts nationwide are cracking down on energy drinks, implementing bans on campus and warning students about the health risks of high caffeine intake.
Schools in Missouri, Texas, North Dakota, Ohio, and other states have implemented new policies this school year prohibiting students from buying or consuming energy drinks at school. Officials cite growing health concerns as younger students consume high-caffeine beverages, often without realizing the health risks.
“Energy drinks are not considered safe for children, so we can’t in good conscience allow them to have them at school,” one Ohio middle school wrote in a social media post.
Popular brands like Alani Nu, Celsius, Monster, and Red Bull contain 200 milligrams of caffeine or more per can—double the maximum of 100 milligrams per day recommended by the Mayo Clinic for teens, and far exceeding safe levels for younger children. The American Academy of Pediatrics, meanwhile, recommends that children and teens avoid energy drinks and other caffeinated beverages entirely.
Still, studies show that about 1 in 4 children consume at least one energy drink daily.
Children who exceed recommended daily caffeine limits can experience rapid or irregular heartbeats, anxiety, jitteriness, insomnia, upset stomach, and mood swings. Energy drinks also cause subsequent energy crashes, making it difficult for students to concentrate in class.
Last year, a 17-year-old girl in Texas died after habitually consuming energy drinks. The family filed a lawsuit against Alani Nu, alleging its products lacked adequate warnings about cardiac risks. A judge in July denied a motion to dismiss the case.
The company that owns Alani Nu, Celsius Holdings, said in a statement in April that it takes “product safety seriously and believe consumers should have clear information about what they are drinking.” The statement said its products clearly display the amount of caffeine it contains and the label states products are not recommended for children.
In announcements releasing the new policies, several school districts reported students drinking multiple cans per day in both high schools and middle schools.
“We really see the effects during the school day, then kids will go home and have a hard time sleeping, then feel like they need the caffeine to get through the next day, and end up in this cycle that’s hard to break,” said Patricia Endsley, president-elect of the National Association of School Nurses.
Some schools have also banned caffeine pouches—small, flavored packets placed between the lip and gums that allow users to absorb up to 200 milligrams of caffeine.
Schools should educate students about the dangers of high caffeine intake
Districts’ restrictions reflect a broader push by lawmakers and health organizations to curb kids’ consumption of energy drinks.
Delaware in September adopted a new law prohibiting the sale of energy drinks on school grounds. The school board in Wilson County, Tenn., recently banned their sale in school vending machines.
Some state-level efforts to ban sales to minors have failed. In contrast, children younger than 16 in England will be banned from buying high-caffeine energy drinks beginning in April. The Canadian province of Quebec this summer became the first in the country to ban the sale of the products to children under 16, beginning in December.
Enforcing campus bans remains a challenge. They are difficult to enforce, because kids often carry opaque water bottles, Endsley said. Instead, she argues, schools should provide water bottle filling stations, and teach students early about proper hydration and caffeine risks.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises schools to teach students about the dangers of consuming too much caffeine, and calls on athletics coaches and sponsors to educate students about the differences between sports drinks and energy drinks. The CDC also recommends offering healthier drink alternatives, like juices and milk. Adults in the school should “model healthy behavior” by not drinking energy drinks in front of children, the guidance says.
Schools could incorporate these lessons about the dangers of overconsuming caffeine into health class, Endsley said. School nurses can also provide one-on-one information to students who repeatedly report fatigue or side effects associated with high caffeine intake, like jitters or anxiety. In some cases, nurses should consider making a phone call home to let parents know there’s a problem, Endsley said, because “they otherwise might be totally unaware.”
