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SCOTTISH teachers union EIS called on Holyrood yesterday to ban the sale of caffeinated energy drinks to under-16s following unequivocal support from delegates at its annual conference in Perth on Saturday.
Edinburgh delegate Alison Thornton said she and her colleagues frequently saw their pupils guzzling energy drinks — sometimes instead of a proper breakfast.
The volatile combination of sugar and caffeine on a child’s brain chemistry was a surefire recipe for disruption in the classroom, she said.
Meanwhile parents had confided that it was “virtually impossible” to monitor what their children ate and drank during the day.
Ms Thornton said a local campaign had convinced some small retailers to stop selling such drinks to customers under the age of 16 — “but as yet none of the large supermarkets have made any positive moves.
“For the sake of our children’s health, for the sake of our stress levels, I urge you to support this motion,” she said.
Council member Philip Pearce agreed, noting that even their manufacturers admitted on labels that “excessive use” could cause confusion, a rapid heart rate and anxiety.
“These drinks are not good for you. They don’t give you wings, they don’t improve your brain function. What they will do is give you large amounts of sugar.”
Some drinks aggressively promoted to young people contained up to seven times the amount of sugar in a typical cola drink, he warned.
“It’s stated on the can to not consume if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, so manufacturers are already saying this is not for (infants’) consumption,” he said.