Schools scrutinize energy drinks


 

WINSTED — The American Heart Association warns that caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, affects the kidneys and may be linked to coronary heart disease. Web sites like kidshealth.org agree and add anxiety, dizziness, headaches and jitters to the list. Caffeine is found in coffee, tea and cola and energy drinks. Administrators at the Gilbert School have noticed students experiencing many of these symptoms and have issued an advisory to parents about the dangers of beverages containing caffeine.

Teachers and faculty members at the Gilbert School say they have witnessed an increase in the number of students ingesting energy drinks. Serious side effects and the disruptive behavior that has been linked to the drinks have caused administrators to go so far as to issue an energy drink advisory through their online education system urging parents to take notice of what their children are drinking and what they are bringing to school.

While the school has tried to control what students are eating and drinking in school, Principal Dan Hatch said the problem comes from outside.

"We have done a number of things in the last few years to make sure what is coming out of our cafeteria is health related. We don’t sell the energy drinks, but the kids tend to have them," said Hatch.

Assistant Principal Joe Dombrowski agreed and added that students have been seen substituting energy drinks, such as Monster, Red Bull and Amp, for breakfast and lunch foods.

"We’ve noticed there are some kids who bring these high energy drinks to school. They will drink them before school. They will drink them at lunch," said Dombrowski. "Most of them are nutrient empty."

And while teachers may know that the drinks are nutrient empty, labels on the cans contradict the notion and state a nutritional benefit to ingesting the product.

"Real energy comes from nutrition and there isn’t really anything nutritious in them," said Dombrowski.

But the drink makers themselves disagree and say the drinks provide benefits from increasing performance, concentration and metabolism to improving emotional status and immune systems.

"Red Bull Energy Drink supplies tired minds and exhausted bodies with lost substances and reduces harmful substances. It provides immediate energy and vitamins," states redbull.com.

While Dombrowski agrees that an initial burst of energy may come from drinking high-dose caffeine beverages, the longer-term results are disruptive and alarming.

"There are some kids we have noticed who may get hyped up when they have them for lunch or breakfast and the alertness is followed by some type of crashing," said Dombrowki. "In extreme cases you can have heart palpitations."

Kelli Gilbert, school nurse at The Gilbert School, sees the effects that energy drinks have on the students on a weekly basis.

"When kids drink energy drinks, especially when they don’t eat when they do...Some are missing class time. Every week I see somebody."

Gilbert said many of the students affected by energy drinks will feel ill and "very, very shaky."

"It’s kind of the same symptoms of when you have low blood sugar," said Gilbert. And even when the students are scared for their own health and go to the nurse’s office, Gilbert said she often sees "repeat offenders."

After getting the ill students something to eat, Gilbert says she tries to educate them about the importance of a good breakfast and the dangers associated with energy drinks.

"If I see repeat offenders, then I call home," said Gilbert.

While caffeinated beverages are legal, caffeine is defined as a drug. Ingesting 200 to 300 milligrams a day is considered a moderate amount for adults. It only takes 100 milligrams a day to form a dependence on the drug.

Soft drinks such as Coca-Cola contain 34 milligrams of caffeine in a 12-ounce drink. Red Bull contains more than double that at 80 milligrams and Monster has 160 milligrams.

Caffeine is not stored in the body, but its effects can be felt for up to six hours, at which time the crash Dombrowski noted may take place.

To combat caffeine abuse in the schools, Dombrowski said the school felt it would be wise to notify parents and recommend parents monitor what their children are purchasing and drinking. "Consumption of energy drinks at school is strongly discouraged. Please take the time to discuss this issue with your son or daughter," said a notice written by the school’s wellness committee.

Across town at Northwestern Regional High School, Principal Wayne Conner said he has not seen any problems resulting from excessive energy drink consumption; however, the school has a policy in place banning students from bringing anything other than water into the school.

"We are a water culture only," said Conner. "The only thing we allow kids to bring into school is water. Bottled water, that’s it." In addition, Conner said the school only sells 100-percent fruit juices, water and milk in the school’s cafeteria. "Fortunately we don’t have any problems with any drinks. We don’t provide them, we don’t sell them and we don’t see them bringing them in," said Conner.

While a similar ban may be a logical next step for Gilbert, for now the school is hopeful that getting parents involved and educating students will cut down on and eliminate the number of energy-drink issues the school is currently facing.

"The message we are trying to send to our students is to eat and drink healthy," said Principal Hatch.

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