Doctors warn about the risks energy drinks pose to kids. What families
need to know
[October 05, 2026]
By LAURA UNGAR
Sean and Heidi Cripe will never forget the call from their son's high
school saying Davis was being taken to the emergency room.
“He chugged an energy drink — like, just trying to be cool,” said Sean
Cripe, recounting the day nearly a decade ago.
The teen's heart soon fell out of rhythm and he died. While such deaths
are rare, doctors across the country have warned for years that energy
drinks contain high levels of caffeine that can seriously harm children,
causing problems such as abnormal heartbeats, increased heart rate,
sleep disturbances, dehydration, agitation, high blood pressure and
seizures.
A newly formed coalition of doctors is highlighting these risks in the
wake of a sponsorship deal between Monster Energy and the Big 12
Conference college athletic organization. The group has asked conference
leaders to pause the sponsorship and the NCAA to review energy drink
marketing to youths in general, citing the deaths of three children
including Davis, a 16-year-old from South Carolina.
The doctors stress that they're not just concerned about Monster but all
energy drinks and any similar partnerships.
“Kids are going to see energy drinks now promoted by the universities
and the athletes that they admire and want to emulate,” said Dr. Matthew
Nelson, an Idaho cardiologist involved with the effort. “The kids will
think of them as sports drinks, which they’re not.”
Too much caffeine can harm kids in many ways
Various medical groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics,
say children and teens should avoid energy drinks altogether. Yet many
are not. According to the latest results of the federally funded
Monitoring the Future survey, run by the University of Michigan, 23% of
12th graders, 20% of 10th graders and 18% of eighth graders reported
consuming energy drinks daily.
Depending on the product, caffeine content can range from 80 to 300 mg
per serving. By comparison, a typical 8-ounce coffee contains about 80
to 100 mg and some sodas contain 50 mg or less. Overall, the pediatrics
academy recommends children ages 12 to 18 limit caffeine to 100 mg a
day. Younger kids are discouraged from consuming any caffeine.
Caffeine and other stimulants increase heart rate and the reactivity of
the nervous system – basically “how fast things go in the body, which
can create an overload of the system,” said Dr. Tamara Hannon, an
Indiana pediatrician who chairs the academy’s nutrition committee.
She likened it to running a blender until the motor heats up too much.
“The same thing can happen when you deliver stimulants to people,” she
said. “The heart can wear out, the nervous system can go haywire and you
can have really serious consequences.”
While such cardiovascular dangers are real, Harvard Medical School
experts say there's no scientifically valid evidence behind the common
belief that caffeine can stunt a person's growth.
Mixing different types of caffeine can be risky
Children with preexisting conditions such as high blood pressure are at
especially high risk, Hannon said, but even healthy children who get too
much of a stimulant can have serious problems. That includes young
athletes.
Another consideration: Kids often drink various types of caffeinated
beverages. That was the case with Davis Cripe, who died in 2017.
According to the coroner at the time, Davis had no prior heart condition
and drank a Mountain Dew and a latte from McDonald’s earlier in the day.
He experienced arrhythmia after having the energy drink.
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A Texas Tech player wears a Monster/Big 12 patch on his jersey
during an NCAA college football game against Sam Houston State,
Sept. 26, 2026, in Lubbock, Texas. (AP Photo/Chase Seabolt, File)
 It wasn’t the first time Davis drank
one, although he didn’t consume them regularly.
“We had talked to him and let him know that they weren’t healthy,”
Sean Cripe said. “We didn’t understand they could be deadly.”
Trade group says the energy drink industry tries to protect kids
The American Beverage Association — which includes Monster and other
companies comprising 94% of the energy drink category — said members
voluntarily disclose caffeine totals on product labels, which carry
advisories such as: “Not intended for children, pregnant or nursing
women, or persons sensitive to caffeine.” Members also don’t sell or
market energy drinks in K-12 schools.
Monster Energy said in a statement that caffeine and other drink
ingredients are found in a broad range of food products. “Mainstream
energy drinks have been marketed worldwide for more than 30 years
and more than 100 billion energy drinks have been sold and safely
consumed globally,” the company added.
The deal between Big 12 and Monster calls for a co-branded logo on
football and basketball jerseys, fields and courts, and across
digital and social media channels.
“The energy drink category is not new to collegiate athletics,” the
Big 12 Conference said in a statement, adding that beverage
companies are always looking for ways to reach sports fans.
The NCAA doesn't have the authority to regulate conference or school
sponsorship agreements, Dr. Deena Casiero, the association's chief
medical officer, told the doctor group in a letter. She said the
association offers schools educational resources on caffeine and
student-athlete health, and caffeine has been a topic of interest
for an NCAA committee, which recently commissioned a cardiac
advisory group.
How to educate kids about excess caffeine
To protect children, teachers and coaches can educate them about the
dangers of too much caffeine and the difference between energy
drinks and sports drinks, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. Sports drinks are designed to help replace
water and electrolytes lost through sweating after activity.
Parents and other adults can also model good behavior by not
consuming energy drinks in front of kids.
At well visits, parents should talk with pediatricians about all the
beverages their children are consuming, said Hannon, who often
advises families to “Rethink your drink.”
Sean Cripe said sharing stories like his could also help children
understand that energy drinks are not for them. “We just pray
parents will use our stories, our tragedies, our grief, to have an
impact on their own kids.”
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