The risks of energy drinks for children and adolescents – 01/17/2024 – Balance

The sale of all energy drinks to young people and children in the UK should be banned, according to some of the latest research into their health effects.

The study linked the consumption of these drinks to more risks than previously found — identifying anxiety, stress and suicidal thoughts.

These drinks often contain high levels of caffeine and sugar and are sold as “energy sources.”

Most UK supermarkets have introduced a voluntary ban on the sale of energy drinks to under-16s.

A total ban, which would also cover smaller stores, online retailers and vending machines, was proposed in England and Scotland in 2019.

Health authorities in England said they would respond to the matter “in due course”.

At the end of the review, 40 health-related organizations wrote a letter to British Health Secretary Victoria Atkins to repeat calls to restrict sales of energy drinks.

“Many of these drinks contain large amounts of caffeine, in some cases between 160-200 mg per can. This amount is double that found in an average cup of coffee (about 80 mg, depending on strength),” the letter says.

Drink packaging often says they are not suitable for children, but they can be easily purchased by those under 18 at small grocery stores, researchers and experts say.

Energy drinks are marketed as physical and mental stimulants and provide more energy than conventional soft drinks.

It’s a huge and growing market. Up to a third of UK children drink this type of drink at least once a week.

Amelia Lake, professor of public health nutrition at Teesside University, who led the review of the studies, analyzed 57 recent research into energy drinks and their impact on young people’s health. More than 1 million children from 21 countries were included.

“The evidence is clear that energy drinks are harmful to the mental and physical health of children and young people, as well as their behavior and education,” she said.

“We need to act now to protect them from these risks.”

The research found that boys were more likely than girls to drink energy drinks.

And regular drinking was more likely to lead young people to use drugs, be violent and have unprotected sex.

Sleep problems, poor school performance and an unhealthy diet were also closely linked to energy drink use, the review found.

Lake said that although his research was unable to prove that energy drinks caused direct harm to health — because dietary studies are always observational — the results were important and constitute the best evidence available.

It is possible that energy drinks are associated with harm to health because those who consume them frequently are more likely to acquire other unhealthy habits, such as smoking or drinking alcohol, for example.

Caffeine Warnings

Official guidance says that people should consume no more than 3 mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight.

“It’s very easy for a young person to take that amount,” says Lake, with the caffeine equivalent to two coffees in a large can of energy drink.

There is also a high sugar content that can damage children’s teeth and, if they are no longer eating healthily, contribute to obesity.

Some countries, such as Latvia and Lithuania, have already banned the sale of energy drinks to children, but it is too early to assess the impact of the measure.

Other countries, such as Finland and Poland, may follow suit.

England and Scotland held a public consultation on ending sales to children four years ago, and Wales has asked about the same issue in 2022.

Current rules state that drinks containing caffeine from any source, at levels greater than 150 mg per liter, must have an indication on the label: “High caffeine content. Not recommended for children, pregnant or lactating women.”

“We have held a public consultation to end the sale of energy drinks to children under 16 in England and will present our full response in due course,” said a spokesperson for the British Department of Health and Social Care.

“However, many large businesses and supermarkets have voluntarily enforced a ban on the sale of energy drinks to under-16s.”

It is recommended that children and others sensitive to caffeine consume it only in moderation.

William Roberts, of the Royal Society for Public Health, said the study “adds to growing evidence that energy drinks can be harmful to the physical and mental health of children and young people, both in the short and long term.”

“That’s why we need the UK government to step up and deliver on its 2019 commitment to ban the sale of energy drinks to under-16s.”

The text was originally published here.