To ask First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Health Minster Shona Robison and Education Minister Angela Constance, to look at legislating to ban the sale of energy drinks such as red bull, monster and rockstar to children under the age of 18 years old.


From my personal experience  

I have seen children as young as 5 years old, going to the local ice cream van and buying these energy drinks such as Monster and Rockstar particularly, as they are cheap to come by.

My own teenage daughter has on a few occasions, bought these drinks.  As a concerned parent, I want the best for my children especially when it comes to their health and education.

These drinks are high in caffeine and high in sugar.  Some experts have found, that the ingredients in energy drinks are higher than a can of Coca Cola.  I have witnessed first hand, the withdrawal effects of these drinks.  I took my daughter to her local GP, to find that her blood pressure had risen slightly, and that her headaches and the feeling of being sick, was the withdrawal symptoms from these drinks.  She was irritable, unable to focus and lethargic.  
It was as if she had a hangover even though no alcohol was consumed.

This impacts greatly on our children's health and learning.  My daughter has on numerous occasions, missed attending school because it has been like she has been hungover.   Even though I as a parent have warned my own child not to drink these drinks, they will just rebel and think that they know better than their parents and teachers.  This is normal behavior seen in teenagers,  going against their parents wishes as it brings some of their control and independence in their own lives.  We can't lock them up, so I feel legislation will enable us to better protect our youngsters in Scotland. 

I also believe that more must be done in a way of educating the public, so that they are aware of the dangers these energy drinks pose to children.  

Media Reports children dying from consuming energy drinks.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/24/energy-drinks-and-kids_n_2009065.html

http://www.livescience.com/48765-energy-drinks-side-effects.html

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/teenagers-who-consume-energy-drinks-5448787

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lawreport/should-energy-drinks-be-banned-for-children-in-australia/6626026

What the experts say

Energy drinks hold no benefit for children, and may not be safe for children's hearts, experts say.

Dr John Higgins of University of Texas Medical School said

"What you have is a situation where your heart rate and blood pressure go up, and the heart would need to dilate those arteries because it's working harder, but instead it's impaired — they don't dilate. It's sluggish, slower.

Meanwhile, the caffeine also can cause a release of calcium in heart cells, affecting the electrical signaling that regulates the heartbeat and triggering an arrhythmia, and there's evidence suggesting the drinks disrupt the normal balance of salts in the body. Changes in sodium or potassium levels also may be linked with arrhythmia's."