My 11 year old son decided to buy 5 cans of red bull while out with his friends. He then drank all 5 cans in the space of half an hour. Although I have always warned him about drinks like this and told him he's not to drink them, I don't think he fully understood / believed what could happen. After picking him up from the park, his heart had begun to race, he was sweating and became restless, he'd been sick and started to have sharp tight pains in his chest. This lasted for hours. He was scared, I was a scared.
Thank goodness nothing serious happened this time. But this shouldn't of been allowed to of been done so easily in the first place. It's been proven that these energy drinks provide NO health benefits. Why are children of any age, allowed to buy these dangerous drinks. My son said the reason he drank so many in one go, was that they tasted so nice, but after finishing the first can, he had the urge to drink another so badly, in his own words 'he could see how they're addictive' .
These drinks are so dangerous to children. 1 can has nearly the maximum recommended daily intake of caffeine a child could take That's just 1 can. He was served and drank 5 of these cans. Red bull cans have 80mg of caffeine in per can, a child's intake should be no more than 100mg, I know by his symptoms he had overdosed on caffeine. He's very lucky he didn't have a heart attack, or a seizure. I encouraged him to drink plenty of water. Today he is still not well, still being sick. But again, this shouldn't of even happened in the first place. Children should not be served these lethal energy drinks.
I believe bigger stores like Asda, Tesco's etc don't sell these to children and do ask for proof of age. But these smaller shops like off-licences, they will sell to anyone of any age.
Kids need to be protected from buying this product. It's so highly dangerous for young children, with hearts that aren't finished growing yet, to be put through such strain from energy drinks.
I want to see an age limit brought out to be able to buy these drinks. That way, I / we know children won't be putting themselves through such danger. Our children's health should be the main priority, and these energy drinks are dangerous.
Please help me bring this to light. Let's put a stop to children buying these awful energy drinks.
