The majority of young Canadians who say they have consumed energy drinks report experiencing one or more negative health effects afterward.
According to a new study from the University of Waterloo, 55.4 per cent of surveyed young people reported “an adverse health effect” following their consumption of an energy drink.
The most common such health effects were elevated heartbeats (24.7 per cent of respondents) and difficulty sleeping (24.1 per cent). About 18 per cent said they had suffered headaches, while five per cent reported nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Seizures following energy drink consumption were reported by 0.2 per cent of respondents.
The study involved a survey of 2,055 Canadians between the ages of 12 and 25.
It was conducted by David Hammond, an applied public health professor, and appears in the journal CMAJ open.
Hammond says his study shows that governments should take more action to prevent young people from consuming energy drinks.
“At the moment, there are no restrictions on children purchasing energy drinks, and they are marketed at the point-of-sale in grocery stores, as well as advertising that targets children,” he said in a press release.
Waterloo researchers were also involved in a previous study which showed a likely link between youth energy drink consumption and mental health issues as well as other substance use.
The Canadian Paediatric Society has also come out against the beverages, saying they can pose serious health risks in children.
Nearly 74 per cent of respondents to the new survey reported that they had consumed at least one energy drink.
