Counselor's Corner

by Mrs. Dale Kerns

Recently I was enjoying lunch with a group of fourth graders.  A conversation started that surprised me.  They began discussing their favorite energy drinks and how many of them they enjoyed drinking them regularly.  I was surprised by their comments.  I asked them if they realized that most energy drinks have warnings on the cans that they are not intended for children under the age of 16 or 18.  Some had noticed, some had not but all agreed that they didn’t worry about it.  I began talking to them about the dangers in energy drinks.  Many of them indicated that their parents buy the drinks for them.  Then and there I decided that this topic would be a great newsletter article.  So I began my research.

A can of soda (12oz.) has 35 milligrams (mg) of caffeine.  Most energy drinks come in 16 oz servings.  Monster energy drink has 140 mg, Amp has 143 mg and No Fear has 166.  That can be equal to 4 cups of strong coffee.  Guidelines recommend that children have no more than 85 mg of caffeine each day.  Women should have no more than 300 mg and men no more than 450mg.  Those guidelines are based on the dehydrating effects of caffeinated drinks as well as the impact of caffeine on the heart.
I was amazed to read studies about the impact on blood pressure and the heart.  Dr. Grayson Wheatley of the Arizona Heart Institute who has researched the topic says that “even one super charged energy drink can trigger anything from high blood pressure to a heart attack in children” that have no diagnosis of heart problems.  Since most heart problems are not diagnosed in young children that can be very alarming.

Dr. Judy Owens, the Director of the Pediatric Sleep Disorder Center at Hasbro Children’s Hospital says, “Children have no reason to include caffeine in their diets”.  She also notes that some of the side effects for children who have too much caffeine are; stomach upset, irritability and sleep disruption in addition to heart arrhythmias.  But she notes the real danger is forming a dependence on the energy drinks. 

Many school systems across the country have banned the selling of energy drinks on their campuses.  At North East Elementary School we do not sell and strongly discourage students from bringing energy drinks to school.  We encourage students to enjoy milk, juice and water.  There are many safe drinks for children to enjoy.

I encourage you to talk with your child about these dangers and not buy them energy drinks.  If you would like more information about caffeine and energy drinks please check out the websites below or contact your doctor or me.

http://kidshealth.org/parent/food/general/power drinks.html# http://www/eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=3717&terms=energy+drinks

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