Prof dinsh chandra rai
The alarming surge in inexpensive energy drink consumption among Indian schoolchildren is a grave public health crisis demanding immediate national action. Priced at just Rs 10-20, these beverages have permeated students’ daily lives, replacing healthier alternatives and posing severe, long-term risks to their physical and mental well-being.
As a food scientist and Vice Chancellor of BRA Bihar University, I am profoundly alarmed by this trend, which threatens to burden an entire generation with chronic conditions like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular ailments. The adverse effects are, in many respects, as severe as those of tobacco, necessitating stringent restrictions akin to those already imposed on tobacco products in educational settings.
The Potent Cocktail: Understanding the Health Risks
Energy drinks are formulated for a rapid, often fleeting, energy surge. Their composition is a potent cocktail of stimulants and sugars. A typical 250 ml serving can contain 80 to 300 mg of caffeine and a staggering 20 to 40 grams of sugar. To put this in perspective, the recommended daily caffeine limit for adolescents aged 12-18 is only 100 mg. Many popular Indian brands comfortably exceed this in a single serving, creating a perilous scenario for young, developing bodies.
Excessive caffeine intake can precipitate alarming physiological responses: elevated heart rate, acute hypertension, anxiety, insomnia, and, in severe cases, dangerous cardiac arrhythmias or seizures. Children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable due to their lower body weight and developing nervous systems. Rapid central nervous system stimulation can lead to jitteriness, restlessness, and an inability to concentrate, paradoxically impairing academic performance despite the perceived “energy boost.”
Concurrently, the extraordinarily high sugar content is a ticking time bomb. India already faces a monumental public health challenge, with 77 million adults affected by diabetes and an additional 25 million classified as prediabetic. Early and frequent exposure of children to these sugar-laden beverages fuels this epidemic, significantly increasing their risk of developing type 2 diabetes prematurely. Beyond this, it directly contributes to unhealthy weight gain, dental erosion due to the drinks’ high acidity (often ranging from pH 2.5-3.5), and increased risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The displacement of nutrient-rich beverages like milk and water leads to significant nutritional deficiencies, undermining healthy growth and development. Furthermore, artificial additives like amino acids, herbal stimulants, and synthetic vitamins, though marketed as beneficial, may induce allergic reactions, hyperactivity, or unknown long-term consequences. Caffeine’s diuretic properties also heighten dehydration risks, particularly concerning in India’s warm climate. Emerging research links frequent energy drink consumption to increased aggression, elevated stress levels, symptoms of depression, and, critically, impaired academic performance and reduced cognitive function among youth.
Echoes of Tobacco
The adverse effects of energy drinks are, in many critical aspects, alarmingly similar to those of tobacco, particularly in their potential to instigate chronic cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. Tobacco use among youth is unequivocally linked to cardiovascular diseases, severe respiratory issues, and a heightened risk of substance abuse, with a concerning 14.6% of Indian adolescents aged 13-15 already reporting tobacco use (WHO data). Similarly, a growing body of research indicates that energy drink consumption is associated with increased odds of smoking, illicit drug use, and other risky behaviors among youth, suggesting a disturbing nexus with broader health-compromising activities (as highlighted by various studies, including those referenced by PMC).
Both energy drinks and tobacco products exploit youthful impressionability through aggressive, often predatory, marketing tactics. Historically, tobacco campaigns targeted younger demographics through aspirational imagery and celebrity endorsements. Today, energy drink brands employ equally pervasive strategies, leveraging social media influencers, sponsoring esports tournaments, and embedding themselves within youth culture to create an illusion of vitality, performance, and social acceptance. Many advertisements often depict exaggerated claims of enhanced physical or mental prowess, which should be critically examined and potentially ridiculed through public health counter-campaigns. This mirrors the past tactics of the tobacco industry, creating a generation of young consumers dependent on their products.
The accessibility of these beverages further underscores the urgency of intervention. Just a few years ago, similar high-caffeine and high-sugar sports drinks were priced upwards of Rs 100, largely unaffordable for daily consumption by school children. Now, the drastically reduced price point of Rs 10-20, coupled with aggressive marketing and pervasive easy availability through local shops and street vendors, has exacerbated the problem, making these harmful concoctions a daily staple for many students. This alarming shift, much like tobacco’s widespread availability, highlights significant enforcement challenges. The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003, provides a robust and proven model for energy drink regulations. Its provisions, including campus bans on tobacco products and age restrictions, serve as an indispensable blueprint for protecting children. Just as tobacco is strictly proscribed on school campuses to safeguard students from its immediate and chronic harms, energy drinks warrant analogous, immediate restrictions to mitigate acute risks such as caffeine overdose and sugar crashes, and their profound long-term impacts on public health.
Strategies for National Action
Addressing this escalating crisis demands a multi-faceted, comprehensive approach involving regulatory bodies, educational institutions, parents, and civil society. This includes stringent regulatory interventions, such as implementing and rigorously enforcing nationwide age restrictions on energy drink sales, limiting purchases to individuals over 18, mirroring existing tobacco and alcohol regulations across both physical retail points and online sales platforms. It also mandates clear, prominent, and comprehensive labeling of caffeine and sugar content on all energy drink packaging, including bold, unequivocal health warnings, and the regulation and enforcement of maximum permissible caffeine levels in all beverages sold in India, aligning with stricter international standards. Furthermore, the direct marketing and advertising of energy drinks to minors, including bans on sponsorships of youth-centric events, use of child influencers, and advertising near schools, must be prohibited.
Robust school-based educational programs are also critical. This entails integrating comprehensive educational modules into school curricula, from primary to secondary levels, elucidating the specific health risks associated with energy drink consumption through interactive pedagogies to engage students, parents, and educators. Regular workshops and awareness campaigns for parents are necessary to equip them with the knowledge and tools to guide their children’s beverage choices and understand deceptive marketing tactics. Strict school environment policies are indispensable, requiring the enforcement of unequivocal bans on the sale, promotion, and consumption of energy drinks in all school canteens, cafeterias, vending machines, and on school campuses, mirroring established tobacco-free school policies. Schools must actively promote and provide readily accessible, affordable, and appealing healthier beverage alternatives such as safe drinking water, milk, and 100% fruit juice (in moderation) to support optimal hydration and nutrition for students throughout the day.
Finally, continuous monitoring, research, and partnerships are vital for long-term success. This involves initiating and funding nationwide studies to continuously monitor energy drink consumption patterns among different age groups, assess their health impacts, and track the effectiveness of interventions. Building strong collaborations between government bodies, public health organizations, NGOs, local communities, medical associations, and parent-teacher associations is crucial to drive awareness campaigns, conduct research, and implement grassroots interventions, empowering parents and communities to make informed decisions and advocate for policy changes.
Advocating Healthier Alternatives
Crucially, advocating healthier beverage alternatives is paramount to mitigating these risks and building a culture of wellness. Water remains the undisputed optimal choice for hydration, supporting overall physiological health without adverse effects. Its availability should be universal and free. Milk, rich in essential calcium, vitamin D, and protein, is indispensable for robust bone development, growth, and overall nutritional well-being among children and adolescents. While 100% fruit juice offers vitamins and minerals, its natural sugar content necessitates moderation and it should be consumed in limited quantities, perhaps as part of a meal. Sports drinks are suitable only for children engaged in prolonged, intense physical activity (typically over an hour) due to their electrolyte content; they are not appropriate for casual hydration or everyday consumption due to their high sugar content. For older adolescents, unsweetened tea or coffee can be considered in moderation, with careful monitoring of overall caffeine intake from all sources. These alternatives not only build healthy development but also fundamentally reduce reliance on harmful energy drinks, building a foundation for lifelong healthy habits.
A Collective Imperative
In conclusion, the escalating consumption of inexpensive energy drinks among Indian schoolchildren, with a market size of USD 6.29 billion in 2024 and over 570 million liters consumed in 2023, constitutes nothing less than a national public health emergency. Their risks, demonstrably comparable to those of tobacco, demand immediate, concerted action through robust campus bans, stringent regulatory measures, and pervasive educational campaigns. By proactively promoting and ensuring the accessibility of healthier beverages like water, milk, and 100% fruit juice, India can safeguard its most precious asset – its youth – from preventable diseases and debilitating long-term health complications.
I appeal with utmost urgency to parents, educators, policymakers, healthcare professionals, and communities across the nation to unite in prioritizing the well-being of our children, advocating nutritious alternatives, and implementing decisive policies to ensure a healthy, vibrant, and productive future for the next generation of India. The time for action is now.
(The author is a distinguished food scientist and the current Vice Chancellor of BRA Bihar University, Muzaffarpur)
