Summer Energy Drinks

Energy drinks have remained a popular beverage choice for young people despite the many risks their consumption brings. The Centers for Disease Control reported that 30%–50% of adolescents drink them, but the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no use of them whatsoever for children under 13 because of their high sugar and caffeine content. Now, what can you do if youth are bringing them to your program this summer?

First and foremost, anyone consuming anything deserves to be informed to make autonomous
choices, so keeping information-sharing at the forefront of any policies or actions related to these products is a must. Here’s a helpful guide on the dangers of caffeine for youth from Healthy Eating Research and a caffeine tip sheet from Boston Children’s Hospital.

Tips for Addressing Energy Drinks in Your Program

• Create an All-Out Ban: This includes confiscating all energy drinks brought into your program. If the drink is opened, it could be dumped out or held until the end of the day. If the drink is unopened, it could be given back to the young person at the end of the day, or it could be thrown away at your program’s discretion.
• Have a Restricted Consumption Schedule: Depending on the ages of the young people in your program, you could offer youth some leeway by stating drinks must be consumed between “X and Y hours” to reduce sleep disruptions for later in the day, or reduce intense energy bursts earlier in the morning.
• Limit Consumption to Specific Age Groups: If eliminating or restricting energy drink consumption at your program is not an option, your program might have more flexibility for 7-8th grade students to drink them rather than K-6 students.
• Use a Harm-Reduction Approach: If eliminating or restricting energy drink consumption at your program is not an option, having open and honest conversations with the youth drinking them could help them make more informed decisions. Topics to cover may include: physical side effects of caffeine consumption, why they enjoy drinking them, insomnia, anxiety/jitteriness, stomach aches, and long-term impacts of frequent use.

Caffeine Pouches 

Caffeine pouches (like nicotine pouches, but containing only caffeine and other additives) are becoming popular and have no place in the lives of young people. An all-out ban is the best way to go for these
specific products.