• St Patrick’s College Wellington has banned energy drinks after a spike in sick bay visits.
• Rector Mike Savali said the drinks caused irritability, high heart rates, and sleep issues in students.
• The ban aims to encourage healthier choices and takes effect at the start of Term 2.

A distinguished Wellington secondary school has banned energy drinks from its campus after a spike in students visiting the sick bay.

St Patrick’s College Wellington rector Mike Savali said students were buying energy drinks from the nearby supermarket and “guzzling” them on an empty stomach, and they were starting to see more boys showing up at the medical room feeling unwell.

The single-sex school announced on Friday it was banning students from having caffeinated energy drinks during school hours, noting banned brands included V, Red Bull, Lift Plus, Monster, Mother, and more.

Savali told the Herald the move was about encouraging the students to think about what they were putting in their bodies and whether there was a healthier alternative.

Caffeinated energy drinks have been banned at a top Wellington school. File photo / Natalie Slade

“We’ve also seen an increase in boys that are drinking it, and they’re not having breakfast, or minimal breakfast.”

He said the consumption of the high-caffeine, often high-sugar drinks made students irritable, could cause high heart rates or palpitations, and negatively impacted sleep patterns.

“They are just guzzling them down, they haven’t had any food in their stomachs.”

Savali said there had been an increase in students reporting to the sick bay saying they felt unwell, tired, or had an upset stomach.

Further questions revealed they had only consumed an energy drink all morning.

Savali noted they still allowed sugary drinks at school such as fizzy drinks, juice and flavoured milk, but they were particularly concerned about the effect of energy drinks and wanted to make change in small steps.

“This one we feel we can monitor and control.”

He recognised there was nothing stopping students from consuming energy drinks before coming onto school grounds, but hoped the ban would inspire them to be more “health conscious”.

“All we want to do is ask the boys ‘this about what you’re buying and what you’re drinking and eating.‘”

The announcement on the school’s website said they started discussing the effects of energy drinks on campus late last year, as well as the “spike in visits to the medical room of students after consumption of these products”.

“Caffeinated energy drinks must contain between 145 and 320mg of caffeine a litre, equating to 36 — 80mg in a 250ml serving, similar to a 250ml cup of plunger coffee (66mg caffeine). Some of these drinks can have up to 7 teaspoons (28g) of sugar in a 250ml serving,” the statement read.

“Teenagers can be more sensitive to the harmful effects of caffeine in energy drinks, with symptoms including irritability, restlessness, rapid heart rate, disturbed sleep patterns and dehydration.

“On the advice given, the College’s senior leadership team has approved the recommendation of the College’s Health and Safety Committee to ban all caffeinated energy drinks from our campus between the hours of 8.30am and 3.30pm, Monday to Friday.

“A student found with such a product will have it removed by a College staff member and disposed of, open or unopen.”

The policy comes into effect at the start of Term 2.

Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.