Why are children craving energy drinks, and are measures needed to stop them from buying drinks?

Prime Hydration is a fruit-flavoured sports drink introduced by YouTubers Logan Paul and KSI, and children all over the world want it. 

Fiona told Lunchtime Live her young son used €15 of his Christmas money to buy a single bottle of Prime – and many parents took notice. 

“The amount of parents who stopped us on the road and said ‘Oh my God, is that Prime, where did you get it?’,” she said. 

“We were walking down Merrion Square and this family in a car with three kids stopped and said, ‘We’ve been following you, where did you get the Prime?’.” 

Prime Hydration have also introduced Prime Energy, which has proven to be just as popular with the YouTubers’ young audience. 

Prime Energy Drinks in various flavours. Image: Erkan Mehmet / Alamy Stock Photo

Mother-of-seven Karina told the show children are “encouraged” to get energy drinks by friends and even adults. 

“At various different sporting activities, they’re actually taught how to make energy drinks,” she said. 

“It's part-and-parcel of teenage life that they are expected to take energy drinks... but what scares me now with Prime is you see very young kids with it in their hands. 

“I’ve seen toddlers in prams with them.” 

These energy drinks typically come with warnings not to take them if you’re under 18 – but Fiona said they make no difference. 

“Marketers will always say ‘parental guidance, discretion, age appropriate’ – but they don’t care. The bottom line is to make money,” she said. 

'They're all aimed at kids'

Shop owner Cian said these energy drinks “are all aimed at kids”. 

“They have their favourite YouTubers, football players [on the cans],” he said.  

“It’s all TikTok-driven... TikTok is our biggest advertisement for this, you see it every day. 

“It's kind of snowballed... a lot of international tourists come into the shop if they can't get it in their country.” 

A selection of energy drinks in a shop, including Prime Energy. Image: Richard Levine / Alamy Stock Photo

Cian said he doesn’t sell energy drinks to children unless they’re with their parents – but there’s no law that requires restrictions on selling the drinks to minors. 

Fiona said parents are “just handing this stuff over” to their children. 

“You wouldn’t bring your 10-year-old in and ask what vape they want or if they want a pack of cigarettes,” she said. 

She said shops should be given “clear guidelines” that allow them to refuse to sell energy drinks to children. 

“We're giving them this garbage soaked with sugar and additives and chemicals,” she said.