TIGARD, Ore. — The rising popularity of energy drinks has prompted one Oregon middle school to warn parents to keep their kids off the cocktails of caffeine, sugar and other ingredients.
Twality Middle School in Tigard recently e-mailed parents, pleading with them not to send their students to school with the drinks. Administrators followed up with a letter to all families in the 880-student school.
“The result is that some students are literally drunk on a caffeine buzz, or falling off a caffeine crash,” the e-mail said.
Many energy drinks have the same caffeine, ounce for ounce, as strong coffee, and the teachers wrote they found some students drinking as many as five cans a day.
“Many energy drink consumers have already developed caffeine dependency, and on some days we get to witness 14-year-old caffeine withdrawal (You know how you get when you haven’t had your cup of coffee),” the teachers wrote.
Such drinks have drawn concern among school administrators around the nation.
In mid-March, four eighth-graders in Broward County, Fla., were hospitalized after sipping energy drinks and then complaining of sweating and racing hearts.
Craig Stevens, a spokesman for the industry trade group American Beverage Association, said it makes sense for educators to communicate with families about consuming caffeinated drinks in moderation.
Patrice Radden, a Red Bull spokeswoman, said its product can be consumed at the same age that it is suitable to drink coffee. She said children are more sensitive to caffeine than adults and normally have plenty of energy and that the company doesn’t recommend its caffeinated products to caffeine-sensitive individuals.
A newsletter mailed to Twality parents includes an article on the popular drinks and how they can contain high amounts of sugar as well as caffeine.
While parents and students likely see soda for what it is — a drink that can pack a lot of calories and no nutrition — some may not see the hazards of downing energy drinks.
Carolyn Raab, a food and nutrition specialist for the Oregon State University Extension Service, said many parents might only see the drinks’ appealing claims and consider them better than sodas. However, manufacturers aren’t required to disclose caffeine content.
Raab, a registered and licensed dietitian, urges moderation and that consumers consider whether they are displacing more nutritious drinks such as calcium-rich milk, vitamin-laden vegetable juices and an overlooked hydrating powerhouse — water.
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