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Possible link between energy drinks and brain injuries in Ontario kids

Researchers at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto believe they have uncovered a link between traumatic brain injuries in children and young adults, and the consumption of high-stimulant energy drinks.

Teens who reported a traumatic brain injury in the past year were seven times more likely to have consumed at least five energy drinks in the past week than those without a history of TBI, the study said.

This is not cause and effect. Their study doesn’t prove the drinks cause or lead to injuries.

But there are certainly some over-lapping – and outright alarming – numbers.

“We examined students attending grade 7 through grade 12, either in public schools or Catholic schools, throughout Ontario,” said Dr. Gabriela Ilie, a researcher at the hospital’s Division of Neurosurgery, and professor of psychology at the University of Toronto.

“We tapped into 93 per cent of all the adolescent population in the province.”

Shock number one – the sheer number of injuries:

“We found that one in five adolescents in this province, attending grades 7 through 12, said yes, I’ve had a traumatic brain injury in my lifetime – such that I received either a blow or a hit to the head that either left me unconscious for five minutes, or I ended up in hospital for at least a night due to symptoms associated with it,” Ilie told Yahoo Canada.

That’s one in five – over a huge portion of the population – reporting a concussion, or worse.

Shock number two – the rate is increasing:

“One in 20 said they had a brain injury in the past 12 months,” Ilie found.

Shock number three – energy drinks:

“If they had a traumatic brain injury in the past 12 months, the odds are eight times higher for them saying yes to mixing energy drinks with alcohol, and drinking six or more of those mixtures.”

Alcohol is a factor, but not the main one. Ilie is keeping a sharp eye on overall energy drink consumption, which is spiking at the same time brain injuries are.

“It shows that they red-flag one another,” she explained.

“For us, particularly with respect to traumatic brain injuries, it’s a flag that this could really be both a risk of traumatic brain injury – and also a problem with recovery.”

The study was not restricted to students who play contact sports. This is everyone – or, at least, 93 per cent of everyone.

“These injuries include concussions, which we have categorized as a mild form of traumatic brain injury. We looked at mild, moderate and severe. We’ve been told by other researchers we have made very conservative estimates.”

Ilie said the causes of this overlap of energy drinks and brain injuries are not entirely clear. She cited parenting as an always-possible factor.

“What does this research actually mean to a parent? Parents need to ask themselves – number one – am I consuming these drinks and setting a bad example to my kid? Actions speak much more than words. Kids usually do what the parents do.”

But there are also the ongoing issues of adolescent peer pressure – and advertising.

“If you look at those billboards, and how energy drinks are being advertised, those ads are being carefully crafted for youth, not for adults,” she noted.

“I think we also need to ask ourselves: if we are creating a culture that encourages youth to experiment with these products, what kind of role our actions may be playing?” a clearly concerned Ilie concluded.