Toxic toll of energy drinks

THERE is a nasty and noxious substance that thousands of children are exposed to on a daily basis, yet no one is doing anything about it. It’s not an illegal drug; not cigarettes or alcohol. It’s energy drinks.

Talk to any teacher and they’ll tell you that these sickly-sweet drinks, laced with huge amounts of caffeine — often many times more than in a cup of coffee — are consumed in vast quantities by their pupils.

When I worked in A&E, I saw several children brought in with palpitations caused by drinking them. One girl had drunk eight cans and needed to have her heart monitored.

Caffeine is a drug that’s toxic in high quantities. It increases the heart rate and can make people agitated and anxious.

The problem is that youngsters aren’t drinking vast quantities because they don’t realise the effects. They’re drinking them precisely because of the effects.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence this is happening in the age of the smartphone. With permaaccess to social media and video consoles, I fear sleep-deprived children feel they need these drinks to get through the day.

This week, there were calls by one of the teaching unions to restrict the sale of energy drinks to children, describing them as ‘readily available legal highs’.

As a libertarian I almost hate to say it, but I agree. It is extraordinary we are allowing children to buy a potentially toxic and dangerous substance totally unfettered. There should be no place for energy drinks in the school playground.