Can a 12-year-old drink energy drinks?

The short answer

No. The American Academy of Pediatrics says energy drinks pose potential health risks, mainly because of their stimulant content, and so are not appropriate for children and adolescents and should never be consumed by them.¹ Its clinical report concluded that the caffeine and other stimulants in energy drinks have no place in the diet of children or teens.¹

That applies to the sugar-free, “clean energy” and fitness-branded cans too. The issue is the caffeine, not just the sugar. A single 12-oz can of Alani Nu or Celsius has 200 mg of caffeine, according to an AAP sampling of labels.²

Energy drinks aren’t a bigger version of soda. For kids, pediatricians treat them as a different category altogether.

How much caffeine is safe for a 12-year-old?

There’s no proven safe dose of caffeine for children.³ Here’s how the main sources line up by age:

The AAP’s current advice to parents is that avoiding caffeine is the best choice for all kids.² The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) gives the figures you’ll most often see quoted: pediatricians advise against routine caffeine for children under 12, against energy drinks for all children and teens, and suggest at most 100 mg a day — about two 12-oz cans of cola — from 12 to 18.³ These are often attributed to the AAP, but the AAP’s own parent page doesn’t set a number.

The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines say to avoid caffeinated beverages in middle childhood (5 to 10), and advise adolescents to significantly limit sugary drinks and energy drinks.⁵ For comparison, the FDA cites 400 mg a day as an amount not generally linked to negative effects in most adults.⁴

We follow the AAP: no energy drinks, and as little caffeine as possible. If your 12- or 13-year-old does have some — a soda at a party, an iced tea — the 100 mg ceiling is a useful outer limit, and a single energy drink blows straight through it.

How much caffeine is in the drinks kids buy?

Caffeine varies a lot by brand and size. The FDA says energy drinks generally have 54 to 328 mg of caffeine per 16 oz.⁴ An AAP sampling of labels gives a sense of the cans preteens actually ask about:²

By the FDA’s figures, a 12-oz caffeinated soft drink has 23 to 83 mg, green tea about 37 mg and black tea about 71 mg per 12 oz.⁴ Caffeine also turns up in less obvious places: the AAP notes that protein bars, energy bars, chocolate and even chewing gum can contain it, and that caffeine pouches held in the mouth can deliver up to 200 mg with no age restriction on sale.²

The sugared cans add a second problem. A 16-oz Monster’s 54 g of sugar is more than twice the American Heart Association’s ceiling of under 25 g of added sugar a day for children.⁷²

Why are energy drinks risky for kids?

A growing body and brain are more sensitive to caffeine, and it adds up quickly in a smaller body, the AAP says.² Caffeine can stay in the body for more than 8 hours, and its side effects include a fast or irregular heartbeat, higher blood pressure, rapid breathing, anxiety, nausea, restlessness, diarrhea and lost sleep.² Over time, AACAP adds, regular caffeine is linked to sleep problems, irritability, needing more for the same effect, and withdrawal headaches and tiredness when it’s stopped.³

The trend is going the wrong way. Caffeine-related emergency department visits nearly doubled among U.S. middle and high school students between 2017 and 2023, and poison control centers saw a 24% rise in calls about young people reacting to energy drinks in 2023.²

Some children are more at risk: kids with heart or lung conditions, and those taking stimulant medicines for ADHD, who may have sleep problems, irritability and mood shifts with caffeine.² AACAP adds children with seizures or migraines.³

What about energy drinks for sport?

Energy drinks aren’t sports drinks, and the AAP says the terms shouldn’t be used interchangeably.¹ Water is the drink for young athletes, and the AAP says effects of caffeine on sports performance aren’t well studied in children.⁶⁸ See what young athletes should eat before a game for game-day fuel that works, and our Gatorade guide for where sports drinks do and don’t fit.

How to talk to a preteen about energy drinks

By 12, many kids buy their own drinks, and a ban alone won’t follow them to the gas station. The AAP says the best way to steer kids away from caffeine is to talk with them about making healthy choices.²

If your child is always tired or hungry, a growth spurt may be part of it; see why preteens are always hungry.

When it’s an emergency

The FDA has seen toxic effects such as seizures in adults with rapid intake of around 1,200 mg of caffeine, often from powders or pills,⁴ and a child’s smaller body is affected by less.² The AAP says to get medical help right away if your child has had a large amount of caffeine and has a racing or irregular heartbeat, fast breathing, shaking they can’t control, anxious feelings or can’t sit still.² AACAP lists vomiting, chest pain, fainting, seizures, disorientation and hallucinations as overdose signs too.³ You can call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 for advice. For a seizure, fainting, chest pain or trouble breathing, call 911.

Common questions