Let's Talk About Energy Drinks
We need to talk about energy drinks.
This isn’t just about Red Bull. It’s about billion-dollar brands marketing caffeine to kids—wrapped in wellness buzzwords and influencer hype. Take Celsius: one can delivers 200mg of caffeine (about two cups of coffee), plus stimulants like guarana and taurine that aren’t always clearly listed on the label.
As a clinician, I’m not worried about a “caffeine use disorder”—there’s no such diagnosis. What matters more is the bigger question: what does it mean to introduce substances to the developing brain as tools to change how you feel or function? When 14% of 8th graders are using caffeine every day, we should be asking why.
When I ask students what they believe is driving daily use, many say it helps them “get through the day.” That’s a clear indicator that there is a breakdown in healthy coping skills leading up to this behavior.
What's Actually in These Drinks?
Energy drinks deliver more than caffeine. They often contain unregulated stimulants like guarana, taurine, and ginseng. These added chemicals can amplify caffeine’s effects, raising heart rate, increasing anxiety, and putting added strain on developing nervous systems.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 100mg of caffeine per day for adolescents ages 12-18, and advises against any caffeine use below the age of 11.
Most energy drinks exceed these limits by far. Brands like Celsius, Prime, Monster, and Bang often contain 150–200mg of caffeine per can. Unlike soda or coffee, they’re designed for quick consumption and marketed as “performance enhancers,” making their effects hit harder and faster.
Why This Matters
Research shows that early energy drink use in middle school is linked to increased substance use later in adolescence, though more research is needed to fully understand this relationship (Sampasa-Kanyinga et al., 2020).
According to the Monitoring the Future survey, daily caffeine use is already common among teens:
8th graders: 14%
10th graders: 16%
12th graders: 18%
The teenage brain is especially sensitive to stimulants like caffeine. Overuse can interfere with sleep, emotional regulation, and how the brain processes rewards. It’s also associated with increased anxiety, irritability, poor academic performance, and sleep disruption—especially when consumed within eight hours of bedtime.
In more severe cases, high stimulant intake has led to emergency room visits, and in rare instances, deaths, especially when consumed quickly or in combination with other substances or pre-existing health conditions.
Marketing Disguised as Wellness, Promoted by Influencers and Athletes
Energy drinks got a makeover. They’re now sold as health-forward lifestyle products — clean, fitness-friendly alternatives to coffee. The language? “Live Fit.” “Wellness energy.” “Science-backed.”
Celsius is now the third-highest-selling energy drink in the U.S., boosted by partnerships with Ferrari F1 Racing, influencers like Jake Paul and Kelsea Ballerini, and major retailers like Target and 7-Eleven. When your 13-year-old is drinking the same thing as an F1 driver, it’s time to pay attention.
Then there’s Prime, co-founded by YouTubers Logan Paul and KSI. Its colorful branding, kid-friendly flavors mirror the same youth-targeted tactics we’ve seen with vaping.
And it’s working. Celsius reported $1.36 billion in revenue in 2024, capturing nearly 12% of the U.S. energy drink market. Prime Energy, though newer, has already become a favorite among middle and high school students, thanks to aggressive influencer marketing and a presence in school-adjacent spaces like youth sports, social media, and convenience stores.
These aren't fringe brands anymore, they're household names, and our students are paying attention. So should we.
What Schools Can Do
Stop selling energy drinks on campus. Products packed with stimulants shouldn’t be in vending machines, concession stands, or anywhere on school grounds.
Talk to students early and often. Use advisory, health class, or assemblies to open conversations about caffeine, marketing, and healthy coping strategies.
Review school policy through a prevention lens. Revisit wellness policies, vending guidelines, and sponsorships. Energy drinks should be addressed alongside tobacco and vapes.
Start early. Fifth, sixth, and seventh graders, even third and fourth graders, know these drinks. Use them as a conversation starter to help students understand how industries target youth. The similarities to vape marketing are striking.
Bring parents into the conversation. If you plan to ban energy drinks, communicate clearly with families. Share facts about caffeine levels, added stimulants, and the impact on sleep, mood, and learning. Parents don’t know unless we bring them into the conversation.
What Parents Can Do
Know what’s in their drinks. Check caffeine content. Many teens think energy drinks are vitamin water or sports drinks. Some don’t realize they contain caffeine at all.
Set clear limits. Don’t make them easily accessible. Keeping energy drinks out of the fridge and off the lunch menu sends a strong, quiet message: these aren’t everyday drinks.
Address the behavior. Ask your teen why they’re drinking them.. fatigue? Stress? Social pressure? It’s an opening to talk about healthy ways to cope.
Model healthy behavior. Teens notice how adults use caffeine. Be mindful about your own choices and routines.
A Starting Point for Prevention
When I started my career in prevention over a decade ago, I never imagined I’d be talking to fourth graders about energy drinks through the lens of alcohol and other drug prevention… but it turns out, this is the perfect place to start.
These conversations help kids understand how substances like caffeine affect their developing brains and bodies. From there, we build a foundation that supports healthy decisions and grows into honest, age-appropriate discussions about vaping, smokeless nicotine, alcohol, and cannabis. This is a health issue, and our goal is to help kids stay healthy.
We want children and teens to understand how these products influence their development—and how branding and advertising shape their choices. These corporations start targeting kids early, so we need to start early too, with clarity, care, and consistency.
Sometimes it begins with something as simple as a conversation about caffeine. That small moment can pave the way for future prevention chats about vaping, alcohol, and cannabis, strengthening trust, setting clear expectations, and helping your child see that boundaries come from care.
If that’s the message in fourth grade, you’ve set yourself up beautifully for middle school and beyond—when the stakes are higher and your child already knows they can come to you.
Blog written by Katie Greeley, LCSW, CADC, Founder of Prevention Ed