One of South Africa’s largest umbrella organisations for school governing bodies is encouraging a ban on new energy drink Prime from school premises, claiming it “alters children’s behaviour”, reports News24.
The general secretary of the National Association of School Governing Bodies (NASGB), Matakanye Matakanye, acknowledged that they were not sure if the drinks were harmful, but they had received reports from schools saying children’s behaviour changed after drinking Prime Hydration.
He said they had not specifically examined the changes, but expressed concern about any substance that could potentially alter children’s behaviour.
Prime became a worldwide phenomenon almost overnight after being introduced by American YouTube stars Logan Paul and KSI last year, with retail sales already surpassing R4.5bn globally.
According to the label, Prime Hydration contains 10% coconut water, amino acids, electrolytes, vitamin B, various anti-oxidants and two grams of sugar per serving.
However, Devon da Costa, a lecturer and research consultant at the Sports Research Institute of SA, said that based on the labelling information, Prime Hydration does not differ significantly from other hydration drinks, like Energade and Powerade. He said moderate use of such drinks should not be dangerous for children.
“It does, however, contain a lot of artificial sweeteners, which could cause changes in your intestinal microbiome, and are linked to a higher risk of depression.”
He added that Prime Energy, another product in the range, containing 200mg of caffeine per bottle, (equivalent to two cups of coffee or a double espresso) was not yet available in South Africa, but that under-18s should, anyway, limit their caffeine intake, and children under 12 should avoid it altogether.
Regular caffeine intake has been shown to increase vulnerability to psychiatric disorders, including anxiety-related disorders, and can lead to substance abuse.
Dr Jaco Deacon, executive head of the Federation of School Governing Bodies of SA (Fedsas), said a sample survey among members revealed that many primary schools do not sell energy drinks in their tuck shops.
He did not see it as a significant concern, considering it as a passing “hype” rather than a sustainable trend likely to cause major problems in the future.
News24 article – Governing bodies want Prime energy drinks banned from schools (Open access)
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