The following is excerpted from an online article posted by USA Today
Wip, a flavored “energy pouches”… are part of a fast-growing category of caffeine pouches marketed as a trendier, cheaper and more discrete alternative to coffee, energy drinks and pre-workout powders. In recent months the pouches, which have circulated in social media mentions for some time, have been popping up more frequently in the wellness sphere and in social settings.
While many brands, including Wip, say these products are intended only for adults, experts who study adolescent behavior have noted that as more young adults talk about these pouches on and offline, they’re entering the teenage lexicon as well.
There’s no federal age restriction on caffeine products, meaning anyone can buy them. Halpern-Felsher, who gives lectures to teachers and parents on adolescent tobacco use, says she now regularly receives questions about caffeine pouches.
The FDA recommends people keep their caffeine usage to 400 milligrams per day. However, recent viral videos show young people doubling up on caffeine pouches, sometimes taking 400 milligrams in one use.
Rob van Dam, a professor at George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health who studies caffeine… says there’s nothing wrong with teenagers drinking a cup of coffee or tea, but discourages use of pouches because their concentrated format can make it easy to exceed recommendation limits.
For young people who are using the product, he says to be conscious of tracking labels and total caffeine use in the day across different formats.
“It could be safe,” he adds, “but it takes a lot of thinking to really realize exactly how much you’re taking and what the impact on your health could be.”
Source: USA Today
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2026/05/20/caffeine-pouches-health-teenagers-energy-drinks/90000404007/