Views on Monster Energy Drinks?

[CurryLover55]

At the moment DD12 has one can a week but DH & I aren’t really happy about her having it at all. She’s threatened to buy it in secret if we ban it altogether. I need to do a bit of research on it but wondered what you guys think?

No chance would I let my 12 year old drink energy drinks. I started when I was about that age and still drink them now but only red bull not Monster. I know they're not good at all but I excuse it as I don't drink coffee or tea not that that means much. Shops don't sell them to under 16's for a reason. They are SO addictive which is the main reason I wouldn't let them drink them, just as I wouldn't let them drink coffees or espressos. If they do it in secret (which they probably already are) all you can do it explain the potential dangers or them.

@isthismylifenow totally agree with you. I don't get on well with artificial sweeteners at the best of times, would much rather have real sugar in controlled amounts.

I do drink full fat Red Bull / a generic version occasionally, because it can help me stave off a major migraine but only about once a month. For me this is medicating. I used to drink a can of full fat coke, but they reduced the sugar so it doesn't work any more!

My 13yo is not allowed, and he has ADHD so in theory caffeine should be less bad for him. It's just too risky and I don't know enough about it.

They are very high doses. I like an occasional energy drink, but I avoided them when I was pregnant even though I happily drank tea and coffee.

Absolutely not, and good luck to her secretly buying it as she'll be ID'd. Are you currently buying it for her?!

I'm pretty sure they are a thing on tik tok or social media. My 15 year old asks me to get them sometimes. She wouldn't have a full one in a day and its probably once a fortnight, if that but I'm still not that happy about it but very hypocritical as I go through periods where I have red bull regularly

DD says you don't get IDed for Monster at most corner shops.

Terrible for anyone really.
Our eldest (15) was having coffee quite a lot so I switched all the instant stuff at home to decafe, can't be there to stop her all the time so this limits her caffeine intake a bit. I will always discourage drinking the energy drinks like monster etc, I used to have them but don't anymore.

@roses2

I hadn't realised they were that bad. DS (8) has one once a month or so. I'm going to stop now after reading this thread!

You have got to be kidding… that’s close to the worst parenting I’ve ever heard, and I’m not actually joking

@nameswap48

Absolutely not, and good luck to her secretly buying it as she'll be ID'd. Are you currently buying it for her?!

Really? 10 years ago we didn't get ID'd for alcohol in most corner shops.

My DD13 asked for one as her friend drinks it. I said no, definately not. Where I live monster cannot be sold to under 16's.

I find it so bizarre that people routinely drink them. It literally would never occur to me to have one.

Same as an earlier poster, i started uni in 1999 when redbull was a big thing. We used to drink red bull, archers and lemonade. One night, after a jug of the stuff (bear in mind fairly low alcohol content), i passed out in the queue for a club (early on - about 9pm!) and my friends had to call an ambulance. When I got to hospital, the doctors didn't believe that we hadn't been taking E, because my heart rate was so high. I never drank red bull again and would recommend the same to anyone!

Thanks everyone - she’s off it from now on. She’s fond of coffee too so I’ll make sure that’s Decaff.

Why were you buying them anyway? How did she realise she liked them? There is 0 reason to buy/drink these drinks.

I walk past loads of secondary school kids on the school run and they all have some sort of energy drink in their hands.... sometimes they have one in their hand and a couple in their pockets!!
Absolutely awful stuff! No way I'd let my child have them!

Hellocatshome I was buying them because I hadn’t realised how bad they were.

I'm sorry but what planet do you need to be living on to not realise "how bad" energy drinks are...? Seriously. Surely just a quick glance at the garish can with warnings not to drink if pregnant should be an indicator even if you don't read the ingredients.

I had vodka and red bulls while drinking in the day in my early 20s.I was awake 24 hours straight.

You have got to be kidding… that’s close to the worst parenting I’ve ever heard, and I’m not actually joking

Nap1983 this is a bit harsh. Clearly the poster didn't realise. Parenting is isn't quite as straight forward as just knowing everything from the get go. But pp knows now.

I told DS I’d disown him if he drank them 🤣

His friends think I’m joking….

But in all seriousness, I’m well aware you can’t stop them 🤷🏻‍♀️ Just got to do your best.

As a uni student getting ready for the twelve-hour summer ball, I took some ProPlus so I'd be able to stay up. The heart palpitations were so bad I actually wrote letters to my family telling them I was sorry. Fortunately, as cousin who was training to be a nurse helped me, but I was very scared. I can well imagine how an energy drink with 3x the amount of caffeine a one tablet could affect your heart.

I used to take pro plus as a student when I had to pull all nighters before a deadline

I never got palpitations but I can confirm that it's very hard writing an essay with shaky hands

I didn't realise they were such a thing with young kids. It's usually workies on building sites I see drinking them.

They correlate with litter throwers too, given the state of the roadsides.