WESTMORELAND, Tenn. (WSMV/Gray News) – An elementary school in Tennessee has issued a ban on energy drinks for students.
Westside Elementary School issued a letter to parents stating the ban on energy drinks will take effect this week.
“While we cannot control what your child drinks at home, we do not allow energy drinks to be brought to Westside Elementary School,” the letter states. “Any energy drinks brought to school will be trashed.”
The principal announced that energy drinks are now banned at Westside Elementary School and issued a letter to parents.(Westside Elementary School)
The letter included photos of popular energy drinks such as Monster, Alani and Celsius. It was issued by the school health director of Macon County Schools and signed by Principal Angela Craighead.
“Our kids’ health is something I will protect, and energy drinks are simply not safe for little kids. It’s a boundary I refuse to cross,” Principal Craighead shared.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most energy drinks contain large amounts of not only caffeine but also added sugars and legal stimulants such as guarana, taurine and L-carnitine.
Officials say the legal stimulants in energy drinks can harm the nervous system. They can increase blood pressure, heart rate and breathing.
The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against caffeine for children under the age of 12 and recommends that children between the ages of 12 and 18 should not consume more than 100mg of caffeine in one day.
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