Caffeine pouches that look nearly identical to nicotine products are showing up in schools across the country, and some districts have started banning them. Sycamore Community Schools' code of conduct does not explicitly address the products.
The pouches are small packets placed between the lip and gum. Some contain up to 200 milligrams of caffeine, roughly equal to two cups of coffee, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). They are sold in flavors like mint, fruit and pumpkin spice, and some health officials worry young consumers could mistake them for candy or gum, WLWT reported, citing Associated Press reporting.
No federal minimum purchase age exists for caffeine pouches.
School districts in New York, Kansas, Pennsylvania and Missouri have added caffeine pouches to their student conduct policies or banned them on campus, the AP reported. Holton High School in Kansas prohibits the products under its tobacco and simulated-tobacco rules because staff cannot reliably tell what substance is inside a pouch.
Rob van Dam, a professor of exercise and nutrition sciences at George Washington University, told the AP that caffeine pouches may worsen anxiety and sleep problems in teenagers. "You can get into a vicious cycle where kids just don't get enough sleep for their normal development and mental health," he said.
The AAP says caffeine from the pouches enters the bloodstream and takes effect within minutes. Too much caffeine can cause tremors, anxiety, difficulty sleeping and seizures, according to Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus. The AAP's Committee on Nutrition says caffeine can stay in the body for more than eight hours, and the academy recommends children avoid caffeine altogether.
Teens may also lose track of total caffeine intake when combining pouches with energy drinks and other caffeinated foods, health experts warn.
A July 2026 report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 65.5% of adolescents ages 12 to 19 consumed caffeine on a given day during August 2021 through August 2023. Their average daily intake was about 30.7 milligrams, comparable to a 12-ounce can of soda but well below the amount in a single high-dose caffeine pouch.
Where Sycamore's code of conduct stands
Sycamore Community Schools' student code of conduct bans tobacco, nicotine and tobacco-simulating products on campus. It also prohibits drugs, alcohol and "lookalike, imitation, or simulated products." The code does not name caffeine pouches, which contain neither nicotine nor tobacco.
The district has not publicly stated whether its existing policy covers caffeine pouches or whether any update is planned. No board agenda item or district communication addressing the products appears in public records.
Federal nutrition standards prohibit schools from selling caffeinated beverages to elementary and middle school students during the school day. Those rules do not cover what students bring from home.
Parents concerned about caffeine consumption can call the Poison Control Center Hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Seizures, difficulty breathing or severe heart-related symptoms require emergency medical attention, health experts say.
