Primary school children, who drink caffeine-packed energy drinks for breakfast are at risk of heart damage, doctors have warned.
Students as young as 10 are snapping up at least two cans at a time on their way to school, lured by special offers at many convenience stores.
Two cans of the energy drinks can have the same caffeine content as five cups of coffee.
Just one energy drink can cause “serious heart conditions”.
The Australian Medical Association has issued warnings for adults to limit their consumption.
A recent health test performed in Sydney on 19 to 21-year-olds highlighted the massive jolt to the heart from these drinks. One 19-year-old had a resting heart rate of 82 beats a minute. Half an hour later, after consuming an energy drink, it hit 106.
A Queensland Health spokeswoman said the effects of two energy drinks on a child weighing less than 30kg could be dangerous.
“Current evidence suggests that 75mg of caffeine per day from all food and drink sources is the limit for a 30kg child,” the Courier Mail quoted Queensland Health as saying in a statement.
The study has been published in the American Journal of Medicine.
