In a new survey, a growing number of teachers are expressing a deep concern over the effects of energy drinks to the behavior of the students, calling these drinks as a catalyst for bad behavior.
The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) in the United Kingdom is currently working closely with Swanswell, an organization that provides services to the youth, including those who are in school.
As part of trying to determine what the students presently need, Swanswell conducted a survey known as the Big Question, which was answered by more than 3,200 teachers all around the country. Of the number of respondents, at least 12% of them complained about the alleged harmful effects of energy drinks to the behavior of the students.
Energy drinks are called as such as they make the drinkers more alert especially during sleeping hours, thanks to their significant caffeine and sugar content. Because of what they do, as well as their taste, many students are forced to drink them to allow their body to cope with sleepless nights. They are also believed to drink a few more in the morning to last the entire day.
However, according to the teachers' concern, the same substance is also driving dependency on drugs as many students confessed to their counselors how sleeplessness caused anxiety and depression. Students then found themselves in an endless cycle as they also drank these drinks to deal with the effects of drugs.
Over the years, there's been a strong focus on the types of food and drinks the students consume in the school ground. According to the Department of Education, schools maintained by their local authority are no longer allowed to sell any confectionery, crisp, or drinks high in sugar such as energy drinks since 2009.
Swansell, on the other hand, mentioned that students should not drink more than a can of energy drink each day.
Nevertheless, the British Soft Drinks Association BDSA, through its director Gavin Partington, counters the claim, saying coffee drinks sold by chains have more caffeine than energy drinks.
