A WEE County politician will raise the issue of the consumption of energy drinks within Clacks schools this week.

Councillor Ellen Forson is calling on Clackmannanshire Council to look at the issue locally and will put forward a motion during a full meeting at Kilncraigs tomorrow (Thursday).

It will be debated by her fellow elected representatives and she is asking them to heed the "growing concerns from parents and teachers about the effect these drinks can have on children".

She said these often impact on behaviour in classes and asks – that in the interests of health and education performance – the council takes action to help "reduce the amount of these drinks consumed on school premises".

The Clackmannanshire South councillor would also like to see the local authority engage with businesses to encourage them to voluntarily refuse to sell the drinks to those under 16.

She said: "While these drinks are not on sale within our schools, young people can buy them elsewhere and drink them throughout the day.

"I have spoken to a number of educational professionals who would all like to see steps taken to prevent these drinks being consumed on school premises.

"Evidence shows that these drinks can have an adverse effect on how young people perform at school and I think it’s time for us to at least try to take steps to address this – in the interests of all our young people. 

"Other local authorities have already done this there is no reason that Clackmannanshire can’t do the same."

Within the motion to be put before the meeting, it states: "That council notes the growing evidence that more young people are consuming excess quantities of energy drinks, which often contain extremely high quantities of caffeine and sugar; notes that 10 to 18-year-olds consume the highest levels of these drinks in the population; acknowledges growing concerns from parents and teachers about the effect on children of consuming such drinks – which includes disruptive behaviour, cardiac problems, nervousness, insomnia, headaches and anxiety..."

It will also discuss how to engage with retailers to sign up to the Retail of Energy Drinks (RRED) campaign, which encourages a voluntary ban on the sale of energy drinks to under 16s.

Gavin Partington, BSDA Director General, has outlined that a can of energy drink typically contains around the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee.

He said: "We support the School Food Trust’s rules on what drinks can be sold and we support the rights of teachers and parents to decide what pupils are allowed to take into school.

"However it’s important to consider the evidence. The latest review by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) confirms that energy drinks are safe and make up a very small part of the caffeine intake of adolescents and a negligible amount amongst children.

"With a 250 ml can of energy drink typically containing about the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee there is no scientific justification to treat energy drinks differently than the main contributors to daily caffeine intake in all age groups including tea, coffee and chocolate.

"Energy drinks producers provide caffeine content on all labelling and market their products responsibly by recommending consumption in moderation and not promoting these drinks to children. In this context a blanket ban seems somewhat harsh."