Some schools are banning caffeine pouches. Here's what parents and
students should know
[October 22, 2026]
By CHEYANNE MUMPHREY
Coffee, energy drinks and soda are not the only ways young people are
getting their caffeine fix. Another product catching the attention of
health experts, school officials and parents doesn’t come in a cup or a
can. It comes in a pouch.
Caffeine pouches, small packets placed in the mouth between the lip and
gum, are marketed as a portable and discreet way to boost energy and
focus. Some contain as much as 200 milligrams of caffeine or about the
amount in two cups of coffee, according to the American Academy of
Pediatrics. Health experts warn that consuming too much caffeine can
cause serious side effects, including increased heart rate, especially
in children and teens.
The pouches also closely resemble nicotine products, raising concerns
among school officials about student health and the difficulty of
distinguishing between the products. Some K-12 school districts across
the U.S. have responded by banning them, even though there is no federal
minimum purchase age for caffeine pouches.
Here’s what to know about the pouches, their potential risks and how
schools are responding.
Caffeine pouches have a variety of nicknames
Caffeine is a stimulant that increases alertness, energy and brain
activity. It can be safe for most healthy people in moderate amounts.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said amounts up to about 400
milligrams per day, roughly two to three 12-ounce (about 354.8
milliliters) cups of coffee, are not generally associated with health
problems.
Caffeine pouches are small packets designed to release caffeine through
the tissues in the mouth. The amount in each pouch depends on the brand.
The main concern is consumption by children. According to the American
Academy of Pediatrics, caffeine from the pouches is absorbed into the
bloodstream and the effects are felt in minutes.
The pouches do not require spitting and are sold in multiple flavors,
such as coffee, mint, fruit and seasonal options like pumpkin spice.
Some health officials worry they can be mistaken by young consumers for
candy or gum.
Unlike with caffeinated beverages, children and teens may use caffeine
pouches more discreetly. The pouches are sometimes referred to on social
media as lip pillows, lip cushies and upper or lower deckies, depending
on where they are placed in the mouth.
Consumer trade groups and caffeine pouch makers, including ALP Pouch,
declined to speak to The Associated Press about the products.
Caffeine has a range of possible side effects
Health organizations, including Nationwide Children’s Hospital in
Columbus, Ohio, say too much caffeine can cause significant side
effects, including tremors, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, seizures and
other complications. Caffeine can remain in the body for more than eight
hours depending on the person's metabolism, according to the American
Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Nutrition. When the effects of
caffeine wear off, people can experience headaches, irritability and
tiredness. The academy says avoiding caffeine is the best choice for
children.
Caffeine pouches may worsen anxiety and sleep problems among teenagers
already facing academic and social pressures, potentially affecting
their mental health, academic performance and development, said Rob van
Dam, a professor of exercise and nutrition sciences at George Washington
University in Washington.
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Containers of caffeine pouches, small packets placed in the mouth
between the lip and gum, are on display at Red Star Vapor Smoke in
Flagstaff, Ariz., on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Cheyanne
Mumphrey)
 “You can get into a vicious cycle
where kids just don’t get enough sleep for their normal development
and mental health,” he said.
Health experts also worry that teenagers may lose track of their
total caffeine consumption, particularly when combining pouches with
energy drinks and other caffeinated foods and beverages.
Parents concerned about excessive caffeine consumption can contact
the Poison Control Center Hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Seizures,
difficulty breathing, collapse or severe heart-related symptoms
warrant emergency medical attention, experts say.
Some schools are banning use of caffeine pouches by students
Nearly two-thirds of young people ages 12 to 19 consumed caffeine on
a given day, according to a July report from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention. Their average daily intake was about 31
milligrams, far less than the amount found in some caffeine pouches.
Some K-12 schools have taken precautionary measures to restrict use,
such as banning caffeine pouches altogether, over concerns about
student health, classroom distractions and the difficulty of
distinguishing them from nicotine products. It remains unclear
whether usage is increasing among American students, although some
schools have reported seeing more of the products on campus.
School districts in New York, Kansas, Pennsylvania and Missouri have
included caffeine pouches in student conduct policies or prohibited
their use on campus. Other schools, including Onsted Middle School
in Michigan and North Middle School in Wisconsin, have warned
families to leave the products at home.
Holton High School in Kansas says staff cannot reliably determine
what substances are inside the pouches, so they prohibit the
products under its rules against tobacco and simulated tobacco
products. Violations could result in disciplinary action or
citations from law enforcement.
In New York, Peru Central School District officials also raised
concerns about the nearly identical appearance of caffeine and
nicotine pouches during a May 2025 school board meeting. The
district’s code of conduct now prohibits caffeine pills and pouches
on school grounds.
“The real issue for us as a school, in the middle and high schools
in particular, is that when students are using pouches it’s
impossible for us to know what the pouch is,” Joha Battin, associate
director of student services for the school district, said during
the meeting.
Federal nutrition standards generally prohibit schools from selling
caffeinated beverages to elementary and middle school students
during the day, but those rules do not restrict what students bring
from home, leaving districts to decide whether caffeine pouches
belong in classrooms and how to enforce restrictions on products
that closely resemble nicotine pouches.
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