A doctor has explained the key ingredient in energy drinks which means they are completely unsuitable for children. It comes after a child had to have their stomach pumped in hospital after drinking one.
Dr Deborah Lee of Dr Fox Online Pharmacy said its "worryingly common" to see reports of teens who have suffered "harmful consequences after consuming energy drinks".
She told The Mirror: "Now here is yet another account of a primary school child with a serious cardiac event and needing to have their stomach pumped. This is hugely concerning."
The Government has said it will ban the sale of energy drinks in the UK to under-16s, and some shops already restrict sales to children.
Dr Lee said: "Energy drinks are not safe, and children, teenagers and their parents need to be made aware of this right away."
A 330ml can of Prime Energy contains 140mg of caffeine – compared to 80mg in a 250ml can of Red Bull. Prime Emergy says on its website it is not recommended for under 16s.
Dr Lee said: "The European Food Standards Agency (EFSA) states a safe limit of caffeine for children (aged three to 18 years) as 3 mg/kg body weight per day.
"For a 10-year-old weighing 30kg, this means an upper limit of 90 mg of caffeine. In this one Prime drink, there is 140 mg of caffeine – 36% more than the recommended levels."
Caffeine is a stimulant, which Dr Lee says causes "increasing alertness, but it also reduces coordination and can cause anxiety, dizziness, headaches and insomnia".
She added: "Children are more sensitive to caffeine than adults, meaning a lower dose can have a more pronounced effect."
Dr Lee also noted two other ingredients that aren't suitable for children – the artificial sweeteners sucralose and acesulfame. Artificial sweeteners "can raise blood glucose and insulin levels, as well as make unfavourable changes in the gut microbiome," Dr Lee explained.
According to the doctor, children shouldn't need to drink energy drinks. She added: "Children should have bags of energy! If they don't – they need to be taken to see their GP. Energy drinks are not the answer."
"I actually find it amusing these are called energy drinks when there's no energy in them. They contain 10 kcal per can – about the same as a stick of celery! The should more correctly be called stimulant drinks – not energy drinks – to warn users of the stimulant effects of caffeine.
"Why are children and young people continuing to drink these drinks when the evidence shows they are so bad for their health? I can only conclude that it must be the result of clever marketing techniques and consumer hype which need to be stopped in their tracks."
