School officials, youth ministers and other educators may need to educate parents about their children's energy drink habits.
Energy drinks are big business with young adults, teens and pre-teens. Due to their high popularity, easy accessibility, and cool image, it's not uncommon for students as young as 12 to go through five cans of their favorite energy drink a day. This rising popularity is drawing concern among school administrators around the nation.
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, they can contain high amounts of sugar, as well as equal amounts of caffeine ounce for ounce as coffee, but are much easier to drink.
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Hyperactivity is just one concern. In mid-March, four eighth-graders in Broward County, Fla., were hospitalized after sipping energy drinks and then complaining of sweating and racing hearts.
Some schools are also experiencing problems with teenagers bringing alcoholic energy drinks on to campus because they are virtually indistinguishable from their sugary counterparts.
Some principals are urging parents not to send their students to school with energy drinks, as well as educating parents about facts that advertisements don't provide.
Discussion StartersDo many of your students use energy drinks? Given the information in this and other articles, would you consider placing a band on the drinks within your student community? How might you help students overcome the hype and make healthier choices?
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