Schools want a national ban on energy drinks for children: ‘They bounce through the corridors’

“I saw them bouncing through the corridors,” says school leader Petra Kok of PVO in Amsterdam. A ban has been in place at her school for some time, but it has only been strictly enforced since she became school leader last year. Energy drinks are cheap, deliciously sweet and help against the afternoon slump. Then the decision is quickly made for many teenagers, Kok saw.

“We had a student who bought energy drinks by the tray and put them in his locker to hand out. After that, those boys are impossible to keep,” she says. Kok wanted to get rid of it because it is unhealthy, but especially because of the effects that energy drinks have on the behavior of young people.

Many schools have bans

Kok’s school is certainly not the only one that would rather get rid of these types of energy drinks, according to a tour by RTL Nieuws. Of the 123 secondary schools that responded to our questions, the vast majority indicated that energy drinks are banned within the school. 96 schools (78 percent) ban drinks in the school. “Students know that if we see it, they will be taken and thrown away,” writes, for example, the Corlaer College in Nijkerk.

Of the schools that have a ban on energy drinks, 93 percent indicate that they do so because energy drinks are unhealthy. 86 percent say they do this because of the negative effects it has on the behavior of young people.

But a ban within the school is not enough for many educational institutions. 101 schools (82 percent of respondents) even said they were in favor of a national ban on energy drinks for minors. That would make enforcement a lot easier and also ensure that students do not secretly drink it outside school.

“Students from year 2 or higher can simply visit a supermarket during the breaks and buy energy drinks here,” writes the Hondsrug College in Emmen. And at the Amadeus Lyceum in Utrecht they notice that enforcement is difficult. “Students find energy drinks ‘normal’.”

Four times as much caffeine as coke

The Nutrition Center describes energy drinks as ‘soft drinks with a lot of caffeine and sugar’, although there are also light versions with less or no sugar. Most cans contain approximately 80 milligrams of caffeine, which is more than an average cup of coffee, which contains 60 milligrams of caffeine. There is about four times as much caffeine in an energy drink as in a glass of cola, writes the knowledge center.

The Nutrition Center does not recommend energy drinks for young children, but children aged 13 and over can safely drink up to one can per day. However, the advice for minors is not to drink it at all or only occasionally.

Children in hospital

In calling for a ban, schools join pediatricians, who previously called for an age limit for energy drinks. In 2018, the Dutch Association of Pediatricians advocated a ban for minors. “We still support that position,” says pediatrician Edgar van Mil on behalf of the association. “In practice, we still encounter children and young people who end up in hospital because of energy drinks.”

The pediatrician finds the effects that energy drinks have on the heart most worrying. If you drink too many cans as a young person, it can lead to a heart rhythm disorder and even cardiac arrest, says Van Mil. It can also cause insomnia, anxiety and a wide range of health problems such as gastrointestinal problems.

The large amounts of sugar is also a reason that pediatrician Van Mil would like to see a national ban for young people. “The caffeine poses risks, but the sugars also have an effect on obesity in young people.”

State Secretary refers to new cabinet

However, a ban will not be introduced during this government’s term of office, State Secretary Maarten van Ooijen (Public Health) said in a response. “Energy drinks are not healthy for children, which is why there is a mandatory health warning on cans: ‘high caffeine content, not recommended for children and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding’.”

“I understand the wish of those schools for a national ban, but that is up to a new cabinet,” says the State Secretary. He indicates that he is especially committed to providing good information to parents and students, ‘for example through programs such as the Healthy School’.

‘Everybody does it’

Schools will have to make do with their self-imposed ban for the time being, but does that mean that students will no longer drink energy drinks at all? Petra Kok knows that the children at her school sometimes do it secretly. “I recently had a discussion with a student who had a can in her hands. ‘Everyone drinks it,’ she said.” Yet Kok thinks it is very important to set a standard. “It’s just like smoking pot or drinking alcohol. Both are not suitable for young people and you certainly shouldn’t do it during school hours.”

Accountability

RTL Nieuws sent a questionnaire to all 641 secondary education institutions for this research. We received responses on behalf of 123 schools, together representing 90,000 students.