I looked at my 11-year-old's blood pressure reading and thought 'Oh my god, I've killed my daughter'
WHAT ENERGY DRINKS DO TO KIDS
Would you let your kids guzzle two cups of coffee for breakfast followed by 16 teaspoons of sugar? Thought not but this is effectively what millions of children, some as young as five, are doing with just one energy drink.
Up to two-thirds of teens and a quarter of under-10s have drinks such as Red Bull, Relentless, Monster Energy and Rockstar, a European Food Safety Authority study found.
And with some at 25p, much cheaper than a Coke or bar of chocolate, these brightly-coloured tins lining shop shelves are the new pocket money favourite.
Last week we revealed Jamie Oliver is leading calls for a ban on sales to under 16s. He believes the drinks are “akin to drugs” and turning our kids into addicts. The dad-of-five said: “If the industry is literally telling us their products are ‘not recommended for children’ on the cans, why can kids as young as 10 buy them?
“This consumption is compromising our kids and our teachers – we have to do something about it. We urgently need the government to restrict the sale to all under 16s.”
So far Waitrose has banned sales to youngsters and teacher union NASUWT also called for a law change.
But many parents are oblivious to their children’s addiction as youngsters buy the drinks on the way to and from school – unaware of the sugar “highs” and “crashes” that follow.
We asked three mums to record what happened when their children consumed just one energy drink at home under their watchful eye.
The results were shocking...