"I want every child to have the best chance of a happy, healthy, active life": MP for Spen Valley backs plans to ban sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under 16s
A plan by the government to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under the age of 16 has been welcomed by the MP for Spen Valley.
The plans will help boost young people’s health by stopping retailers from selling the drinks to children in a move that could prevent obesity in up to 40,000 children and deliver health benefits worth tens of millions of pounds.
According to research, around 100,000 children consume at least one high-caffeine energy drink every day, while there is growing evidence linking these drinks to harmful effects on children, including disrupted sleep, increased anxiety, poor concentration and reduced educational outcomes.
Welcoming the announcement, Kim Leadbeater said: “Our wellbeing is vitally important for every area of our lives, and the foundations start when we are young.
“I want every child to have the best chance of a happy, healthy, active life for as long as possible, so I welcome these plans to protect children from the harm caused by high-caffeine energy drinks.”
Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said: “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?
“Energy drinks might seem harmless, but the sleep, concentration and well-being of today’s kids are all being impacted, while high-sugar versions damage their teeth and contribute to obesity.
“As part of our Plan for Change and shift from treatment to prevention, we’re acting on the concerns of parents and teachers and tackling the root causes of poor health and educational attainment head on.
“By preventing shops from selling these drinks to kids, we’re helping build the foundations for healthier and happier generations to come.”
Research highlights that up to one-third of children aged 13 to 16, and nearly a quarter of children aged 11 to 12, consume one or more of these drinks each week.
Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said: “This government inherited a scourge of poor classroom behaviour that undermines the learning of too many children - partly driven by the harmful effects of caffeine-loaded drinks - and this announcement is another step forward in addressing that legacy.
“It goes hand in hand with our work to address the root causes of poor behaviour with targeted support to hundreds of struggling schools, access to a specialist mental health professional in every school and updated school food standards so children have access to healthy food and drink options during the school day.”
The proposal would make it illegal to sell high-caffeine energy drinks containing more than 150mg of caffeine per litre to anyone aged under 16 across all retailers, including online, in shops, restaurants, cafes and vending machines. The proposals would not affect lower-caffeine soft drinks nor tea and coffee.
A consultation, launched launched last week on delivery of the ban, will run for 12 weeks gathering evidence from health experts, education leaders, retailers, manufacturers, local enforcement authorities and the public.