Maharashtra’s FDA decision: Ban on energy drinks near schools: What’s the fuss about the fizz?

A report by Mordor research company states, “The India energy drinks market size is estimated at 0.74 billion USD in 2024, and is expected to reach 1.01 billion USD by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 5.46% during the forecast period (2024-2030)”.

Dr Mukund Sangamnerkar, a paediatrician practicing in a Navi Peth hospital since 1983, said, “These drinks contain excess sugar, which is poison. It is ultra processed food, which is not good. It has little nutritional value, enhances obesity and invites diabetes and other health hazards”.

Recently a study published by BMJ journal also linked increased consumption of energy drinks to insomnia.

Neeru Singh, who works at an IT company, makes sure her 16-year-old son Divansh doesn’t consume energy drinks.

“Divansh is a badminton enthusiast. His coach and I make sure that he’s getting natural and homemade supplements like smoothies and lemonade instead of highly caffeinated drinks. It’s essential that parents and children pay attention to what they eat and drink. A child’s body is not the same as an adult’s because this could have an impact on their health later on, if not now.”

Divansh, a student at SNBC International School (Mundhwa), said, “It’s not that I’ve never been tempted by energy drinks, but because of my badminton coach’s strict instructions I keep away from them. Any energy drink contains a good amount of sugar and caffeine, which can result in fatigue and reduced performance. He adds, “There’s no store close to our school from where one can get such drinks, and I’ve never really seen someone drink it during school hours.”

“Though I have seen my friends consume these energy drinks, I myself haven’t tried it because its smell nauseates me. I would rather have coffee or Bournvita instead of having something that stinks,” says Danny, a 17-year-old student.

The report by Mordor also states that it is the natural and organic energy drinks which are the fastest-growing energy drink types consumed in the country. “They (natural and organic energy drinks) are projected to register a CAGR of 6.94% by value from 2024 to 2030. Consumers, particularly millennials and the young, are becoming more conscious of their dietary choices and actively seeking organic and natural alternatives across the energy drink categories.”

Nirmal Waddan, the principal of Kalyani School recalls an incident from last June when some students were found consuming energy drinks during a school camp. She said, “We confiscated them right away. We forbid our children from bringing such drinks to school or drinking them.”

About the reason behind this confiscation, Waddan says, “Until my own son began drinking them, which affected his sleep schedule, I had no idea what ingredients these energy drinks contained. I quickly banned it at home. So I concur with Maharashtra government’s decision to place a ban on high-caffeine drinks near schools and will henceforth conduct awareness sessions with children during school hours.”

Mother of two Sripurna Gupta said, “Even though I laud the state government’s restriction on energy drinks near 500 meters of school property, it’s imperative to use marketing to disseminate a legal warning because many parents are unaware of the contents of these drinks. Most of these energy drinks have a significant amount of sugar and caffeine, both of which can raise heart rates and, in the worst case scenario, lead to addiction and withdrawal symptoms. As a concerned parent, I advocate for increased awareness among parents and children.”

“We welcome this decision by the government. The coming generation needs to maintain a distance from such beverages,” said Vasanti Bankar, principal, Madhav Sadashiv Golvalkar Guruji Vidyalay. She said such drinks aren’t sold anywhere near their school or inside school, and the administration has put up slogans and boards informing students to not consume anything that could lead to addiction.

“Even when we go on school trips, we tell students to not carry these or even soft drinks. We show them videos of experts to warn of possible health effects due to consumption of addictive substances. Recently we also had an event for awareness where through poster making, essay writing and elocution, students took part in the drive to become aware of additive substances and resolve not to consume them,” said Bankar.