In a video with over 2.8 million views, one TikToker exposed a surprising fact about the sweetheart of the Starbucks menu: the Pink Drink.
Barista Emily Thompson (@emilythommpson) revealed that there is more caffeine in these drinks than people think, and moms should be aware.
“On no pink drinks aren’t just fruit juice, they have caffeine,” Thompson said. “You’re giving your toddler 45mg of caffeine at 8pm.”
@emilythommpson caffeine-dependent children #tobeapartner #pinkdrink ♬ original sound – Mr.Linguini
According to the Starbucks menu, a Pink Drink in the smallest size (tall) has 45 milligrams of caffeine. A medium (grande) also has 45 milligrams, a large (venti) has 70 milligrams, and an extra-large (trenta) has 90 milligrams.
Thompson wrote in the caption that the Pink Drink is creating “caffeine-dependent children.”
In the comments section, users shared their experiences with the drink.
“The looks on parents’ faces when I’d tell them that the trenta pink drink they were buying at 8pm was just a mild energy drink,” one user wrote.
“One time this woman told me her less than one year old baby would just SOB without her pink drink…I was like baby that’s caffeine withdrawal,” a second shared.
“I’m surprised mom-tok hasn’t come out with a list of Starbucks drinks that are age-appropriate for adolescent age groups,” another commented.
This is not the first time a TikToker has gone viral for raising awareness about the surprising caffeine content in a popular fruity drink. After a viral PSA, Panera’s Charged Lemonades took over the internet and received wildly different reviews from social media users. Some said the caffeine content should be illegal, while others claimed it made them jittery, relaxed, or sleepy.
The Daily Dot reached out to Thompson via Instagram direct message and to Starbucks via email.
