What Parents Should Know About The Energy Drink Being Banned In Some Schools

A new drink on the market is already dripping in controversy. Prime Energy, which first launched in the UK and contains more caffeine than most energy drinks, has made a big splash in the US. And now there are even reports of the drink being banned from schools and sold on the black market.

A collaboration between YouTuber-turned-boxer Logan Paul and his frenemy and fellow boxer KSI, Prime Energy is packed with 200 mg of caffeine and 300 mg of electrolytes. It contains zero sugar and only 10 calories. It's the second offering from the Prime beverage brand, which previously released the Prime Hydration sports drink.

There's no shortage of energy drinks out there, so what exactly has turned Prime Energy into such a phenomenon in a short amount of time?

First, it has double the caffeine of rival energy drinks like Monster and Red Bull, which have between 86 and 111 mg.

Second, Prime Energy is backed by two popular influencers: Logan Paul and KSI. Combining their YouTube and social media channels, they have close to 100 million followers. According to experts, it's this cult-like following that has fans waking up at the crack of dawn to secure a Prime Energy bottle, or reportedly asking friends if they can pose with their empty bottles for a photo.

“It actually has zero to do with the product. It’s about the community and the cult that they’ve built,” Amanda Russell, a professor and director of the Global Center for Influence at University of Texas, shared with The Washington Post.

Prime Hydration was even featured on the biggest media stage of the year thanks to a 30-second Super Bowl ad. The raucous spot features Paul and KSI and people chanting, "We want Prime! We want Prime!"

The commercial featured people of all ages, but it appears that school-age children are most drawn to the energy drink. It's a bit concerning given that the drink's FAQ page warns that the drink "is not recommended for children under the age of 18, women who are pregnant or nursing, or individuals who are sensitive to caffeine."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "The American Academy of Pediatrics states that caffeine and other stimulant substances contained in energy drinks have no place in the diet of children and adolescents." The CDC also reports that the dangers of energy drinks in adolescents include dehydration, heart complications, anxiety, and insomnia.

Similarly, the article "Caffeine and Kids" from Columbia University Irving Medical Center stresses that "Energy drinks have more of everything bad...No one of any age, especially zero to 17, should have energy drinks."

Given the potentially harmful levels of caffeine in the drink, several users on Twitter have confirmed that they have received letters from their children's schools about Prime Energy being banned.

One user in particular pointed out that children are selling the drink to each other at school.

Delish Editorial Director Joanna Saltz said her son told her that "the kids are all in the cafeteria yelling 'Prime! Prime!'" at his high school.

After being made aware of one school's Prime Energy ban, KSI called it a "blatant wrongdoing." He announced that "we’ll be sending a truckload of Prime to this school and many other schools."

It's unclear if those truckloads were ever delivered.

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