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Buzz Kill: Children’s Caffeine Consumption  

By Alexandra Perazzo 

An eye twitch. Shaky legs. Nausea. Restlessness. Headaches.  

If you even dabble in caffeine, you have probably fallen victim to at least one of these symptoms. With caffeine intake skyrocketing in the modern era, so is caffeine dependence. This dependence drives companies to create and market new variations of caffeine to feed into public desires. Worse still, there has been an uptick in marketing caffeine-filled products to young children, posing an even greater risk to public health. Dr. Cynthia McCarthy, a bioethicist who specializes in Health Care Ethics at the University of Pittsburgh, states that “Energy drink marketing is explicitly designed to attract a younger crowd. It looks edgy and colorful. Even the smaller, sleek, and slender can is geared toward a younger population that can be more easily influenced.” 

The marketing of vapes previously demonstrated this pattern. Vape flavors like “Strawmelon Sour” have an obvious appeal to younger buyers. Sweet, sugary, and highly caffeinated beverages have a similar attraction. Energy drinks have grown into a wide array of flavors in colorful caffeinated cans, and eventually have made it into stores like Dunkin’, Starbucks, and Panera, illustrating a troubling trend. New packaging has made it easy to confuse caffeinated beverages with other sodas, raising the question: what responsibility is placed on the corporations making these drinks? As Dr. McCarthy explains it, this issue boils down to one main question: “What is the obligation of corporations to warn about the potential side effects?” 

The first energy drink in the U.S. was created in 1949, called Dr. Enuf.  In Japan in 1962, the first modern energy drink—called Lipovitan D—was created so truck drivers and factory workers could stay awake for many hours. Years after the creation of the first energy drink in the U.S., energy drink production began to erupt, starting with Red Bull in 1997, Rockstar in 2001, Monster in 2002, and Bang in 2012. As the years progressed, manufacturers shifted their focus from athletes to young people. Now, two-thirds of energy drinkers are between 13 and 35. In the last ten years, there has been an influx of energy drinks released and marketed to young people and students, claiming to be healthier alternatives. These include Celsius, C4, Zoa, and Alani Nu, and have seen huge growth in recent years, long after their release. Dr. McCarthy shared her own experience, where she didn’t realize Celsius had caffeine in it until she was working late one night and wanted a carbonated drink. “I thought a Celsius would just be a bubbly drink. At three in the morning, I was still awake.”  

Caffeine consumption has only skyrocketed in recent decades. 85% of the U.S. population drinks at least one caffeinated beverage a day. While coffee is still the leading form of caffeine intake, energy drink intake has boomed. A survey of college students over 21 found that 51% had consumed an energy drink in the past month. Not only that, but it was found that one-third of teens have energy drinks regularly. In addition to the rise of new energy drink varieties, widespread coffee shops, caffeinated soft drinks, and perceived benefits, this trend stems from caffeine reliance associated with longer work hours, increases in stress, and decreases in the number of hours slept. The survey found that most are consuming energy drinks for taste, look, popularity, and with little knowledge of the effects. The largest surveyed reason behind college students drinking energy drinks was sleep deprivation, pointing to a larger issue—the amount of pressure placed on most students. Most people do not know how caffeine impacts their body, how much caffeine they should consume, or what is in the energy drinks they are having. In the words of Dr. McCarthy, “Someone could argue that you could go to McDonald’s every day and eat a Big Mac, and they have the freedom to do that. In the long term, particularly if they come from a lineage that has trouble processing cholesterol, that could lead to long-term health issues. The difference is energy drinks are more like a drug; especially if they are mixing it [with alcohol] there could be an immediate drug-like effect. The problem is more urgent than people just making individual choices to eat something unhealthy.” 

It is recommended by the FDA that adults consume less than 400 mg of caffeine per day and 12–18 year-olds under 100 mg. The average cup of coffee has 100 mg of caffeine and the average energy drink has 200 mg. Caffeinated soft drinks at chains like Panera Bread and Starbucks can contain over 300 mg of caffeine. Energy drinks and caffeinated soft drinks are what are most appealing to children, and yet, they often far exceed the recommended limit, and little is being done to educate them on the effects of caffeine. “You can go to Giant Eagle and buy a case of energy drinks at any age, and no one stops you. We need to think about regulations and limitations for purchase. If there are not going to be age limits for purchase, there is even more responsibility from a social perspective to educate and change how we advertise the drinks,” Dr. McCarthy advises. Energy drinks do not need to be FDA-approved because they are considered dietary supplements. There aren’t any current regulations on age for consumption, yet we know the effects can be immediate—and even catastrophic.  

The International Journal of Health Sciences found that caffeine can affect your cardiovascular system, as there was found to be an increase in heart rate and blood pressure after consuming an energy drink. At times, even healthy, young consumers were found to have atrial fibrillation and arrhythmias. “The side effect of something being catastrophic means that the urgency to have even more social responsibility exists,” adds Dr. McCarthy. The combination of improper education, few warning labels, and marketing to younger audiences can lead to immediate harms. 

It is generally accepted, and advised by the FDA, that children under 12 are not recommended to drink energy drinks or coffee. Yet, social media and marketing tactics advertise adult behaviors to children, including drinking energy drinks. While both children and adults may experience caffeine addiction, the associated symptoms are usually worse for children. These include depression, anxiety, stress, sleep issues, increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, irritability, and behavioral issues. These issues can arise due to lower doses having stronger effects on children. Also, children experience these symptoms earlier in life, leading to increased risk of developing mental health issues, heart disease, and other comorbidities. Long-term, high-dose consumption of caffeine can have irreversible effects on your brain, stomach, and heart. Additionally, children are more likely to drink sweeter drinks, leading to the possibility of obesity, diabetes, and gastrointestinal issues. Still, the biggest ethical issue at play is apparent in the short term; most people are not aware of the recommended limits of consumption, how much caffeine they are consuming, or what increases the effects of caffeine. Studies have shown that when energy drinks are mixed with alcohol, there is a masking of the depressant effects of alcohol by the caffeine. In other words, you are more likely to continue drinking because you feel the effects less, but in reality, those effects are just delayed. Overall, there is a lack of warning and education surrounding energy drinks. To prevent immediate harms, corporations must be regulated. “With smoking, we have already proven that there is a social responsibility to warn people about the long-term effects. The need to have a regulation and ethical responsibility to educate regarding energy drinks is the immediate effect. There’s no time to make a mistake,” clarifies Dr. McCarthy.  

Caffeine overdoses have been increasing in recent years, particularly with pre-workout supplements and other energy alternatives. Deaths from caffeine intoxication have also been increasing from fast intermittent consumption of caffeine or pure caffeine supplements. However, lethal cases are still quite uncommon or result from pre-existing conditions. One case that caused debate over caffeine intake was the lawsuit surrounding the “Charged Sips” at Panera Bread. Sarah Katz was a 21-year-old student with a heart condition who died after drinking a Charged Lemonade in 2022. Another case was brought about by the family of David Brown,a 46 year-old man with high blood pressure who died in 2023 after drinking three Charged Lemonades, claiming he did not know they were energy drinks due to insufficient advertising. Now, Panera Bread has added warning labels near the drinks warning consumers that they are highly caffeinated. Still, there is a call for higher regulations on energy drinks and caffeine-containing supplements. A major reason legislative action is lacking is insufficient documentation of energy-drink related deaths. But, as Dr. McCarthy says, “Why do we have to wait until enough people are harmed to make a change? Why wait?” 

Corporations have a social responsibility to clearly educate consumers on what they are drinking so that immediate harms are avoided. There is enough research to demonstrate that caffeine, specifically in high doses from energy drinks, needs to be more stringently regulated to protect children and all consumers.