Are Starbucks Iced Power Drinks Harmful For Teenagers?

Many adolescents are Starbucks obsessed. In a 2024 survey from funding banking firm Piper Sandler, it discovered that the chain is capturing 37% of teenagers’ espresso and tea price range—no small feat whenever you replicate on the worth tag hooked up to most menu choices. 

Certainly, holding a cup with the signature inexperienced mermaid emblem has develop into a standing image for a lot of tweens and youths, very similar to sporting Nike sneakers or clutching a Sephora bag stuffed to the brim with expensive merchandise.

As a guardian of three women between the ages of 10 and 15, for essentially the most half, I assist their on-trend Starbucks dependancy. Whereas I don’t know if they really just like the drinks, or order refreshers and boba sips to really feel cool, the underside line is that I trusted the corporate to offer high quality, secure drinks for my crew (who isn’t too into espresso simply but)—till now. 

ICYMI, Starbucks lately launched a sequence of colourful power drinks known as Iced Power that comprise sufficient caffeine to pose a hazard to adolescents. Per the Starbucks menu, there are three flavors to select from—out there solely within the largest Venti dimension—together with Melon Burst and Tropical Citrus, which comprise between 180 and 205 milligrams of caffeine. Then there’s the Frozen Tropical Citrus Iced Power drink, boasting 140 milligrams of caffeine.

As NBC reviews, 205 milligrams of caffeine, discovered within the Tropical Citrus Iced Power Starbucks providing, is akin to chugging six cans of Coke directly! 

At time of writing, no warning labels are included to recommend that the drinks will not be acceptable for youthful prospects, however as mother and father, all we want do to really feel a flicker of concern is assume again to Panera’s current points with the now discontinued Charged Lemonade. It resulted in a number of lawsuits from prospects, together with one teen who alleged they suffered cardiac occasions after consuming the power drink.

Add to that that specialists have additionally issued warnings in opposition to adolescents consuming power drinks.

I instantly talked to my women about why they aren’t allowed to order this latest menu providing from their favourite cafe. Nonetheless, one has to marvel what number of younger individuals might be making an attempt the brilliant, new drink over the approaching weeks. And maybe others might be enticed to pattern Dunkin’s model of the fashionable beverage, Sparkd’ Power (per the shop’s menu, a medium model of their providing comprises 144 milligrams of caffeine).

Why These Drinks Could Be In style With Teenagers

To unpack the potential risks of the brand new Starbucks power drinks and others, first, I needed to attempt to higher perceive why as we speak’s adolescents are so Starbucks obsessed within the first place, past simply anecdotally realizing that my women are continually ordering Pink Drinks on my app.

“Adolescents who’re drawn to Starbucks need to be considered as mature, subtle adults and these are grownup drinks which might be authorized for them to buy,” says Aaron Weiner, PhD, ABPP, a licensed, board-certified psychologist primarily based in Illinois. “When youngsters need to be seen as cool adults with costly drinks, Starbucks elevates their standing.”

On prime of that, power drinks carry their very own social clout with youngsters. “When youngsters are caffeinated, they really feel they will do extra, play longer and tougher, and carry out higher than once they really feel drained, subdued, and overwhelmed,” Dr. Weiner says.

Moreover, the power drinks market is booming. And the actual fact is that many power drinks are marketed to enchantment to adolescents by way of promoting campaigns. Sadly, these drinks can pose many risks to rising tweens and youths.

Why Starbucks Iced Power Drink Aren’t Good for Youngsters

A number of it comes right down to caffeine, which the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) discourages for youngsters. There may be no confirmed secure quantity of caffeine for youngsters.

“Power drinks comprise giant quantities of caffeine, which is a psychostimulant,” says Wendi DeFrank, MD, a pediatrician at Kids’s Hospital New Orleans. “This may trigger complications, fast coronary heart price, and insomnia.”

Dr. Adams provides that some individuals will expertise nervousness because of caffeine, however the stimulant will not be the one probably problematic ingredient. She factors out that power drinks are loaded with sugar, which may trigger fast rises in blood sugar ranges.

“That fast rise triggers launch of insulin from the pancreas, which then causes fast drops in blood sugar ranges,” explains Dr. Adams. “These fast drops in blood sugar may cause nausea, dizziness, complications, and vomiting.”

Longterm extra sugar consumption may result in weight problems and kind 2 diabetes.

Moreover, as Dr. Weiner notes, “Many power drinks like Starbucks Iced Power have components which might be identified to be unsafe in giant portions for youngsters, comparable to taurine and guarana. So, it’s not simply the caffeine we fear about, it’s the opposite components as nicely—and the interplay between the caffeine and the opposite components that may be particularly dangerous to kids and adolescents.”

Among the many considerations round taurine, for instance, is that the amino acid might trigger development issues in kids.

How To Speak to Youngsters In regards to the Risks of Power Drinks

It is essential for folks to talk with their kids about these drinks. “Give them the details about what they’re consuming,” says Dr. Adams. As a result of when you consider it, teenagers are sometimes sipping on what their friends buy, and should not even think about probably dangerous unintended effects.

It’s additionally essential to clarify why it might be OK for adults to drink these drinks, and never them. Bear in mind, wholesome adults can have as much as 400 mg of caffeine a day.

“They usually see their mother and father often utilizing caffeine as part of their day by day routines, so it doesn’t seem problematic or unsafe,” Dr. Weiner says, including that some teenagers assume that if they will legally buy power drinks, they should be secure. However, as he explains, “For a similar purpose now we have medicines which have a kids’s model and an grownup model with differing dosages, now we have drinks which might be secure for grownup our bodies that aren’t secure for adolescent our bodies as a result of our metabolisms are completely different.”

In the end, have a relaxed, non-caffeinated dialog together with your youngsters about your considerations round power drinks. Additionally, hear them out about why they discover these drinks interesting. This may yield a typical understanding of household expectations in relation to this menu providing at well-liked chains like Starbucks and Dunkin’.

“After they perceive the chemical nature of the substance and why their our bodies can’t metabolize it correctly, then they’re ready to make a distinct selection,” Dr. Weiner says. “And, who is aware of, possibly they’ll even persuade just a few of their pals to do the identical.”