Energy Drinks Linked to Cancer Ingredient Still Sold in Walled Lake Schools — Parents Urged to Act
- Mr ADMIN
- May 29
- 2 min read
Published by Walled Lake Citizens for Parental Rights (WLCPR) A Member of the Great Education Initiative
Energy drinks are aggressively marketed to teens and younger children—promising heightened focus, enhanced performance, and the thrill of rebellion in a brightly colored can. From gas stations to grocery aisles, these beverages are everywhere. Shockingly, they are also found in our public schools.
WLCPR, a nonprofit advocating for transparency and student safety in Walled Lake schools, has confirmed that energy drinks like Celsius and Reign—both containing the controversial ingredient taurine—are being sold in high school vending machines across the district.
This comes on the heels of a disturbing new study from the University of Rochester Medical Center, which shows that taurine—a common additive in energy drinks—can accelerate the growth of certain blood cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia. The study, led by Dr. Archibald Perkins, concluded that taurine enhances a process in leukemia cells that helps them survive longer and grow faster. According to Dr. Perkins:
“This could be the first direct evidence showing that taurine can make some leukemias more aggressive.”University of Rochester Medical Center, 2024, A Downside of Taurine for Blood Cancer?
The risks are far from theoretical. Celsius, Reign, Monster, Ghost, Bang, and Red Bull all contain high doses of taurine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also warned that energy drinks can raise heart rate and blood pressure, increase anxiety, disrupt sleep, and lead to serious cardiac complications in young people.
Given these risks, WLCPR is calling for the immediate removal of all energy drinks from Walled Lake Consolidated School District properties.
WLCPR supports parental choice—if a parent wants to allow their child to consume energy drinks, that decision should be made at home, not aided by public institutions. Schools should not serve as distribution hubs for products now associated with severe and even deadly health risks.
To that end, WLCPR is circulating a petition demanding that the Walled Lake school district immediately remove all energy drinks from student access.
🔗 Parents and concerned citizens are urged to sign the petition today: Click here to sign the petition →
The time to act is now. If schools would never sell tobacco or alcohol to students, why are they selling taurine-loaded energy drinks linked to cancer, heart problems, and psychological harm?
WLCPR will continue working with district administration and local school board members to protect the health of Walled Lake’s children. But real change starts with informed and united parents. Join us in putting student safety ahead of profits.
—Sources
University of Rochester Medical Center. A Downside of Taurine for Blood Cancer? (May 2024). https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/story/a-downside-of-taurine-it-drives-leukemia-growth?fbclid=IwY2xjawKlZ1FleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFhcG1RbW9yejlpTDJMYklvAR6YII7fmFhlsHajPH26ybQYgVRaEAn9xUuNCAwDL2xxF0uDXgeQngjXxK8Z7w_aem_gximeX3ug0bWJ2Mm8CP1-Q.
CDC. Health Effects of Energy Drinks. https://www.cdc.gov/school-nutrition/energy-drinks/index.html#:~:text=The%20potential%20dangers%20of%20energy%20drinks&text=Some%20of%20the%20dangers%20of,(feeling%20nervous%20and%20jittery).
NIH. Energy Drinks: What You Need to Know. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4682602/
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