Behind the News High: Should energy drinks be banned for kids?

• Behind the News, The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)

This video explains what energy drinks are, why young people may use them, and the associated health effects. It includes interviews with young Australians and with experts. A transcript and curriculum links are available on the ABC website.

Video length: 9:14

• Increased knowledge of the health effects of energy drinks.

Expert Review*:

The video was developed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and includes input from academic experts. It has a high production quality and uses animation to present complex information about energy drinks in an engaging and easy to understand way. The video includes interviews with young Australians to increase relevance to students. 

As some of the people being interviewed discuss how many young people consume energy drinks, it is important to be aware of the potential for normalisation. Teachers could include a myth busting conversation about how many young people are actually using energy drinks. The National Secondary Students’ Diet and Activity (NaSSDA) survey found that in 2018, 7% of Australian secondary school students consumed energy drinks weekly, and 25% had ever consumed an energy drink.

*Review provided by researchers at the Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use at the University of Sydney.