The government is planning to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks in England to under-16s to protect children’s physical and mental health.
Under the proposals, limiting the sale of energy drinks containing more than 150mg of caffeine per litre, retailers will have to be vigilant on the age of customer buying popular drinks like Red Bull, Monster and Prime.
The plans set out today are aimed at preventing obesity in up to 40,000 children, delivering health benefits worth tens of millions of pounds.
Around 100,000 children consume at least one high caffeine energy drink every day, according to ministers. And there is growing evidence linking these drinks to harmful effects on children, including disrupted sleep, increased anxiety, poor concentration and reduced educational outcomes.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting says: “How can we expect children to do well at school if they have the equivalent of four cans of cola in their system on a daily basis?”
All retailers, including online, in shops, restaurants, cafes and vending machines will be under scrutiny on who they sell the drinks to. The proposals would not affect lower-caffeine soft drinks nor tea and coffee.
Many major retailers already voluntarily restrict sales of high caffeine energy drinks, which carry labels warning that they are ‘not suitable for children’. But the government says that there is a need for a more consistent approach that is fairer for industry.
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) welcomes the move. “BRC members banned the sale of certain energy drinks to under 16s many years ago, so we welcome this announcement as it will ensure a level playing field across all businesses who sell energy drinks,” says its assistant director of food, Andrea Martinez-Inchausti.
A consultation on delivery of the ban will run until November 26 2025, gathering evidence from health experts, education leaders, retailers, manufacturers, local enforcement authorities and the public.
An Association of Convenience Stores’ poll in 2022 showed that 80% of convenience stores already had a voluntary policy in place to restrict the sale of energy drinks to young people.
Its chief executive James Lowman welcomes the tighter regulation, but said that it needed to be backed by pubic education: “Our members have a longstanding track record of enforcing age restricted sales on different products, but it is essential that the government effectively communicates the details of the ban to consumers to avoid the risk of confrontation in stores,” he says.
