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June Shannon Defends Pageant Crack Alana

February 10, 2012 by · Comments Off on June Shannon Defends Pageant Crack Alana 

June Shannon Defends Pageant Crack Alana, A pageant mother accused of ‘doping’ her child after giving her high-sugar snacks and caffeinated drinks before a show has defended her actions.

June Shannon, from McIntyre, Georgia, sparked widespread criticism following an appearance on Toddlers and Tiaras last month with six-year-old daughter Alana Thompson.

The self-proclaimed ‘Coupon Queen’ had described how she boosted the youngster’s energy ahead of performances with Pixy Stix – tubes of powdered sugar often known as ‘pageant crack’ – and ‘Go-Go- Juice’, a mixture of Red Bull and Mountain Dew, according to Good Morning America.

Today, she responded to the backlash in an interview with the show.

She said: ‘There are far worse things. I could be giving her alcohol.’

Explaining that a typical event can be exhausting for the children involved, she continued: ‘A pageant day can last from 7 in the morning to 6,7,8,9, 10 at night, so performing and getting a kid up that early and lasting all day without a rest, you have to energize their body.’

Ms Shannon also added that she was not alone in the practice.

‘Everybody does it,’ she said. ‘There are normal people who give their kids this, so why is it such a big issue with us pageant moms that do it all weekend to keep our kids energized and awake?’

Indeed, producers filming a Nightline special on the subject were witness to one such pageant in New York where they saw children drinking caffeinated soda and candy from as early as 7am, while a similar event in Austin, Texas, saw many contestants eating Pixy Stix.

But child health experts have voiced their concern about the so-called ‘Go-Go Juice’, given that a single can of Mountain Dew or Red Bull contains as much caffeine as a cup of coffee.

A report last year from the American Academy of Pediatrics stated that children who have too much caffeine are at raised risk of neurological and cardiovascular problems.

Its authors warned: ‘Energy drinks are never appropriate for children or adolescents. In general, caffeine-containing beverages, including soda, should be avoided.’

The Toddlers and Tiaras episode featuring Alana saw Ms Shannon tell how she created her ‘Go-Go Juice’ mixture after 15 bags of Pixy Stix failed to boost the youngster’s energy.

Viewers were outraged as she explained the concept of ‘special juice’, telling producers: ‘A lot of pageant moms and people know what the “special juice” is – everybody has their different concoctions…

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