Prime drinks: Losing their appeal in schools?

Educational organisations are calling for a ban on the new Prime Hydration drink that is the talk of the town. The drink costs a whopping R39.99 for a 500ml bottle.

IT’S A GOOD IDEA TO BAN PRIME DRINKS AT SCHOOLS

The National Association of School Governing Bodies (NASGB) General Secretary Matakanye Matakanya says it is a good idea to ban these drinks at schools, and they will support any schools that implement a ban.

“We are encouraging other schools to do the same because these drinks have a negative effect on children. We are also encouraging schools to draft a policy that bans them (these drinks) so that even if there are people who are challenging it, they see that here is a policy (sic)”

“We are also encouraging children to drink water instead of these drinks.”

says Matakanya.

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Some schools have even gone as far as to send Whatsapp messages to parents saying that energy drinks are not to be brought to school. Nazamia Muslim School principal Mohamed Saeed told a publication that energy drinks have a negative effect on children and how they behave and participate in classes. “It is a common fact that sugar does have an effect on children”, he adds.

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PARENTS SHOULD HOLD MEETINGS TO DISCUSS IF THESE DRINKS BELONG IN SCHOOLS

The spokesperson of the Governing Body Foundation, Erna De Lange, said principals should hold meetings with parents to discuss whether they want energy drinks at their schools or not.

However, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education spokesperson Muzi Mahlamba says there is nothing to be done at the moment that at the moment there is nothing they can do as a department because there is no scientific report saying that energy drinks are not good for children.

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Meanwhile, in Australia, schools across the country are rushing to ban students from bringing ultra-caffeinated energy drink to schools.

Prime energy drinks, from a company part-owned by influencers Logan Paul and KSI, have almost twice the legal limit of caffeine allowable in Australia.

AUSTRALIA HAS ALSO BANNED THE BRIGHTLY COLOURED BOTTLED DRINK

Australia has also banned the brightly coloured bottled drink for this reason.

It clearly states on the bottle that the drink is not suitable for children under the age of 15. The principal of Maryborough State High School in Melbourne warned of a worrying incident involving a student.

“We had a student who had just the sports drink, not the energy drink, and this is a child who’s quite shy, retiring, and quiet normally, and it was like someone had shaken him up and made him fizzy.”

He says.

The school subsequently sent a reminder to parents that their ban on energy and sports drinks extended to Prime.

ALSO READ: Prime energy drink sold by KSI and Logan Paul banned from Australian schools

This article was originally published by Angeline Schwan.