Young people in the US drink energy drinks as if they were water.
17-year-old Jacqueline Rogers herself consumes up to four cans – every day.
– I think all the kids drink some kind of energy drink at my school, she tells The Wall Street Journal.
Students across the U.S. are drinking energy drinks like they’re water, reports say The Wall Street Journal. Teachers and principals say teenagers often start the day with a can after staying up late studying, playing or texting.
They drink more during the day to stay alert during lessons and even more in the evening to do their homework. When schools ban the drinks, students often drink them before class or hide them.
Drinks every day
17-year-old Jacqueline Rogers lives in the state of Missouri. She herself drinks energy drinks and says that she and her classmates want the caffeine because they have so many activities and lessons.
– I think all the kids drink some kind of energy drink at my school, she tells The Wall Street Journal.
The energy drinks can hinder learning, disrupt the class and in some cases cause various seizures. Students visit the school nurse regularly and complain of rapid heartbeats and anxiety attacks after drinking several energy drinks, the newspaper writes.
Caffeine consumption may be linked to heightened feelings of anxiety and depression, which are on the rise among young people.
Seizures in children
Many energy drinks, both in the US and in Sweden, contain upwards of 200 milligrams of caffeine per can. That’s way above what doctors recommend for a teenager. Many students also drink several cans a day.
– Children already have problems focusing, with all the distractions from phones and computers. Now these teenagers are constantly sipping energy drinks. Their hearts are beating so fast and they can’t sit still, science teacher Randy Freiman told The Wall Street Journal.
In recent years, several students have had various types of seizures at his school. They had one thing in common – they drank several energy drinks on the day they were affected.
– I wish I could say that I would stop drinking energy drinks completely, says Jacqueline Rogers, who averages between two and four cans a day.