Should There be an Age Limit on Energy Drinks?

Many teens, myself included, have gotten really used to drinking energy drinks fairly often. But should teens be able to drink them freely? Many people have concerns. The 4 major side effects of energy drinks are anxiety, dehydration, insomnia, and heart complications. Heart complications include irregular heartbeat or even heart failure.

 

In 2011, 1499 teens were rushed to the ER because of an energy drink related emergency. More than 10 percent of these ER visits resulted in those teens being hospitalized. Many energy drink brands target their ads towards kids aged 13-18. As a result, these teens are influenced to drink these. Many schools even have energy drinks in vending machines, giving teens an even easier access to energy drinks. Parents are also uneducated on how risky it is having young children drink these drinks, especially the ones that have sugar in them.

 

So how do energy drink companies defend themselves? Many companies say that a large coffee from Dunkin Donuts has more sugar and caffeine than their drinks. The difference is that energy drinks use artificial sources for caffeine, which have been proven to be more dangerous than natural caffeine sources. Many health research centers have concluded that children should consume no caffeine at all.

 

In my opinion, I think that the age limit for energy drinks should be 16. At that age, many teens are full grown or close to it. The major concern of teens drinking energy drinks is because they are smaller than adults, but many teens, girls especially, are full grown by 16. Also, energy drinks can help teens focus better in school, so they should be able to consume them in moderation.

 

Questions:

Do you drink energy drinks? If so, how often?

Do you think there should be an age limit for energy drinks?

 

Sources:

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/06/scientists-say-energy-drinks-ads-shouldnt-target-teens/592657/ 

https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/nutrition/energy.htm 

https://www.unr.edu/nevada-today/news/2020/atp-energy-drinks 

 

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Replies

    • Yes, energy drinks are fine in moderation, it when teens are drinking 3-4 a day that it becomes an issue.

  • I think that energy drinks should not have an age ban. I personally don't drink energy drinks and personally think that they are very bad for people. I feel that no one should drink energy drinks but if that is what they want than go ahead.

  •  don't think that there should be an age limit on energy drinks because there is a choice everyone has to make. It's up to them to decide if it is good for them of not. Cigarettes and vapes are age restricted, yet kids still have access to them through dealers, and same for alcohol. 

  • I only drink energy drinks about once every month, and I don't think that there should be an age limit on them unless they are drinking them all the time. Once you start to drink them all the time it can make a huge difference on your body and your health.

  • I drink energy drinks quite often, if it's either before school, or early morning before work they are a nice boost of energy to have. I don't think there should be an age limit on energy drinks, because yes, they may be harmful, but if parents don't want their kids getting health problems from the drinks they can just tell them to not drink them anymore.

  • I don't drink energy drinks, but I do know that people drink them in order to help them get through the day without falling asleep. I don't there should be an age limit because some people don't drink energy drinks all the time.

    • I do see your point that putting an age limit on them wouldn't be fair to the people who only drink them when necessary.

  • I consume energy drinks about once a week or every other week. I personally don't think there should be an limit for the buying or consumption of energy drinks, because I think they are fine to drink in moderation.  

  •  

    I personally don’t drink energy drinks as much as most teens my age but every once in and while I have myself a Monster or most recently a Redbull. No, I don’t think that there should be an age limit for energy drinks I think that having an age limit is pointless and quite frankly a waste of time. Having an age limit for an energy drink is pointless because nobody is ever going to pay attention to it and nobody will really care to take it seriously if someone tries to enforce it.

  • Yes, I drink energy drinks or something like them called pre-workout.  These drinks are good for short-term energy and focus. However, these drinks can cause heart problems due to the amount of caffeine in them.  I try to limit the amount of energy drinks that I drink. 

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