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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Primary school child drinking red bull?

56 replies

CatsCantFlyFast · 07/06/2013 18:37

I was Shock on the way to work this morning when I saw a girl in school uniform (age 8ish) drinking red bull from the can when on the way to school with her mum. Surely this is not considered a reasonable drink to give to your daughter/son??

OP posts:
BaconKetchup · 07/06/2013 19:52

I think if caffeine is good for children with ADHD there should definitely be a better way of managing that; not sugary crap like red bull.
Tea perhaps?

ApocalypseCheeseToastie · 07/06/2013 20:01

Blackeyedsusan is right, stimulants such as caffeine etc have the opposite effect on people with ADHD, Ritalin is a stimulant, it's also a sought after 'party drug' because if an NT person were to take it they'd be bouncing off the walls.

What people who deny the very existence of ADHD think of that I don't know but it's true.

StuntGirl · 07/06/2013 20:04

I suspect the chances of all these Red Bull drinking school children suffering ADHD is slim.

Branleuse · 07/06/2013 20:09

caffeine is NOT good for adhd

I think a lot of people dont actually realise that its not just another soft drink

MangoJuiceAddict · 07/06/2013 21:10

Absolutely vile drink for a child. I may be a bit extreme with my DD's diet but my DD didn't even try lemonade until she was 10 years old! Personally, I believe only water, pure fruit juice/smoothies and milk should be given to children. However, I realise not everybody shares my opinion and my sister happily gives he 6year old DS coca cola. But red bull does seem partcularly unhealthy!

bettycocker · 07/06/2013 21:12

Children drinking it - it's not good, but it's better than crystal meth I s'pose.

Kneedeepindaisies · 07/06/2013 21:17

I know quite a few friends of DS10 who are allowed to drink this because they need the energy. Hmm As far as I know none of them have ADHD.

saulaboutme · 07/06/2013 21:21

We had sports day yesterday and a dad gave his son redbull! I've also seen a 10 year old drinking diet coke on the way to school.

Featherbag · 07/06/2013 21:26

I often see young adults with caffeine-induced arrhythmias, I dread to think how many more there'll be in a few years as these caffeine-fuelled children grow!

YoureAllABunchOfBastards · 07/06/2013 21:32

We have banned energy drinks from school - massive problems with hyped up teenagers before we did. And one of our 16 year old girls has been incredibly ill - they suspected a heart problem, but turned out it was overconsumption of Red Bull.

HoHoHoNoYouDont · 07/06/2013 21:39

I drank two cans of that crap when it first came out. Tbh I didn't really know what was in it, I thought it was just a soft drink. I felt so ill afterwards, heart pounding, hot, jittery. Scared me to death! Haven't touched it since. It amazes me when people drink vodka & red bull all night.

Sparrowlegs248 · 07/06/2013 21:56

Surely children with adhd should not be relying red bull? I'm sceptical. And know a great many children with adhd.

Notcontent · 07/06/2013 21:58

As many have pointed out Red Bull can be quite dangerous. It's not just a soft drink.

Willdoitinaminute · 07/06/2013 23:01

Nearly 7 teaspoons of sugar in can of Red Bull. Sorry but I would judge whether ADHD or not. If the caffeine helps surely there is a healthier source? Incidentally 10 teaspoons of sugar in can of full fat coke! No wonder kids go loopy after drinking it.

lookout · 07/06/2013 23:07

I regularly see kids of year 5/6 age from my ds1's school with energy drinks after school. In one can of Monster there's something like 60g of sugar. 60 grams!!!

IneedAsockamnesty · 07/06/2013 23:09

These two both use a own brand version I think are about 35p a can it they are both very poorly because of it and medical people have told them but they still carry on.

CatsAndTheirPizza · 07/06/2013 23:12

BlackeyedSusan that's interesting - I didn't know that either.

BaconKetchup · 07/06/2013 23:12

lookout ONE teaspoon of sugar is 4 grams. Shock

So one can of Monster contains 15 teaspoons of sugar...

snooter · 07/06/2013 23:40

Red Bull makes me & husband feel weird. Son hasn't tried it yet.

Friend's husband got drunk on vodka & Red Bull so couldn't sleep even though he was pissed when he got in, so he cleaned the house really badly for several hours before crashing out just before she got up.

Loulybelle · 07/06/2013 23:46

I cant stand Red Bull and no way in hell would DD be getting any.

30 cans a day, thats bloody shocking, and i thought i was addicted to Diet Coke.

MerkinMaker · 08/06/2013 00:49

Dh will not touch the stuff after finding a man who had died after drinking numerous vodka and redbulls. The man had an undetected heart condition and couldn't cope with the caffeine and alcohol.

Isn't it banned in some countries? I have to admit I drink it occasionally but s child shouldn't be.

HollyBerryBush · 08/06/2013 07:52

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Bull

It's all marketing myth and hype, Red Bull has the same caffeine content as a cup of coffee, it isn't banned, it has nocardio vascular effects.

Cardiovascular effects

A review of the scientific literature on caffeine concluded that moderate caffeine intake (less than 400 mg per day) does not adversely affect cardiovascular health.[24] A can of Red Bull, 250ml, contains 80 mg of caffeine which is less than a cup of coffee.[25]

There has been at least one case report of Red Bull overdose causing postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome in a young athlete.[26] A February 3, 2009 article in The Daily Telegraph called, "Red Bull 'may have triggered heart condition that killed student' " reported the death of a 21-year-old woman who died after drinking four cans of Red Bull as well as alcohol at "social levels".[27] It was believed, but had not been proven, that she suffered from a rare heart condition called long QT Syndrome.[27] She was on medication for epilepsy and had an abnormally large heart. A medical examination found that there were no illegal drugs in her system. The article quoted a doctor as saying, "The coroner recorded that the 21-year-old woman died of natural causes."[28]

Impact on driving

Joris Verster and colleagues from Utrecht University concluded that Red Bull Energy Drink reduces driver sleepiness and enhances driving performance during prolonged highway driving.[29]

Legal status

Red Bull did not get market approval in France, Denmark, and Norway[30] for several years, but the energy drink is now on sale in all 27 member states of the European Union and in 164 countries around the world.

jamdonut · 08/06/2013 08:52

I think children know its not good and that is why they drink it. I came across a group of ex-primary pupils (Year 7) outside Morrisons the other day,they all had a can of some or other "energy" drink (it might have been Morrissons own). One of the girls was giggling and dancing about,she said to me "HI, Mrs jamdonut! I'm really hyper !!", waggling the tin about in front of me. I just gave her a Hmm face.
I really don't think they should be sold to under 16's.

lookout · 08/06/2013 15:00

It might all be myth and hype that Red Bull is dangerous, but the doses of caffeine and sugar, amongst other things, are too high for children to be consuming. I wouldn't give my primary aged son a large cup of coffee with 15tsp of sugar in it, so cans of Monster et al are also out!

Mitchdafish · 14/06/2013 21:14

11yo came home with a Lucozade something from the vending machine at secondary school today. His brother found it Wink nearly finished in his bag. Has caffeine in, though I assume not what is classed by drinks manufacturers as "high caffeine" like Red Bull.
He'd had a complete meltdown after he got home and I'm wondering if there is a link.
Certainly giving high-caffeine drinks generally to children under 16 is bad IMO, let alone primary. Grrr.
I was pretty sheltered before, school had no choc/crisps/fizz policy.

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