Edinburg, TX (KRGV) — The Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District banned energy drinks on campus this year and will send parents a pamphlet if a student brings one to school, according to the district.

The district says it noticed more 911 calls from nurses' offices sending students to the ER because of racing heartbeats, fast pulses, and anxiety. 

"In response to that, we started looking at what was going on, and we kind of put energy drinks and students' wellness together," Edinburg CISD Director of Health Services Diana Davila said.

If a student brings an energy drink to school, the district will throw it away if it is open. If it is in a closed container, the district will confiscate it and send it home with the student at the end of the day.

In both cases, parents are notified, and students take home a pamphlet. The pamphlets show the ingredients in energy drinks and the side effects they can have on kids.

Parent Steven Cruz has three sons in Edinburg CISD and said he has talked to his children about the risks.

 "When you're under 18, your body's still developing, your heart's still developing; it's something that you probably shouldn't be taking," Cruz said. “My children will not even touch energy drinks.”

Dr. Sujan Gogu with DHR Health says drinks with high amounts of caffeine can carry health risks for children and teens, especially if they contain sugar.

"I think the thing that you want to keep in mind is this age group really needs to stick under 100 mg of caffeine, and a lot of these drinks are above 200,” Gogu said. “In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics really recommends children and teens avoid these drinks entirely." 

Gogu said possible side effects include a high heart rate, high blood pressure, palpitations, obesity, diabetes, kidney disease, and mental health effects.

Davila said the district has seen fewer students bringing energy drinks to campus since the education campaign started.

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