An elementary school in Westmoreland has issued a ban on energy drinks for students effective this week.
Westside Elementary School, in Macon County, issued a letter to parents stating the ban on energy drinks will take effect on immediately.
“While we cannot control what your child drinks at home, we do not allow energy drinks to be brought to Westside Elementary School,” the letter states. “Any energy drinks brought to school will be trashed.”
The letter included photos of popular energy drinks such as Monster, Alani, Redbull and Celsius. It was issued by the School Health Director of Macon County Schools and signed by Principal Angela Craighead.
“Our kids’ health is something I will protect and energy drinks are simply not safe for little kids. It’s a boundary I refuse to cross,” Craighead stated on the school’s Facebook page.
Most energy drinks contain large amounts of not only caffeine but also added sugars and legal stimulants such as guarana, taurine, and L-carnitine, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The legal stimulants in energy drinks can harm the nervous system. They can increase blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing.
The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against caffeine for children under the age of 12 and recommends that children between the ages of 12 and 18 should not consume more than 100mg of caffeine in one day.
Some U.S. states have proposed or implemented restrictions on energy drink sales to minors. And HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has expressed serious concerned about the energy energy drinks, and their impact on young children.
States seeking to limit SNAP benefits from allowing the purchase of candy and sugary drinks are often including restricting the purchase of energy drinks as well. Tennessee is now seeking to join a dozen other states limiting what can be bought with SNAP funds.
