Government yet to deliver on promised energy drinks ban
With 700 days passing since ministers first pledged action, Action on Salt & Sugar join the call for faster legislation to ban energy drinks sales to children.
Today (17th June) marks 700 days since the government confirmed its commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under the age of 16. Yet despite this promise, legislation has still yet to be introduced, allowing millions of energy drinks to be sold and children’s health to be put at risk.
In response, Action on Salt & Sugar has joined a coalition of leading health organisations, academics and youth campaigners to issue an open letter to the Prime Minister expressing serious concern over the continued delay and urging for immediate action to protect children’s health and wellbeing.
Read the Open Letter - Energy Drinks.pdf [PDF 54KB]
Since the government’s commitment was first announced, an estimated 280 million energy drinks have been consumed by children – equivalent to around 300 every minute, or 5 drinks every second.
While energy drinks are already required to carry a “not suitable for children” warning label, and many supermarkets have voluntarily restricted sales to under-16s, these products remain widely available to children through convenience stores, cafes, and other retail outlets. As a result, the energy drink market has boomed, recently overtaking Cola as the UK’s largest soft drinks category.
The delay in introducing legislation comes despite longstanding evidence linking high-caffeine, high-sugar energy drinks to negative physical and mental health in children. This includes increased heart rate, anxiety, disrupted sleep and poor concentration, alongside tooth decay and higher blood pressure, impacting children both within school-settings and setting them up for poorer health later in life.
The open letter warns government that further delay and failure to deliver on its commitment risks exacerbating this issue further. It highlights the widespread support for a ban, with teachers citing high energy drink consumption as one of their biggest concerns for students, and 8 in 10 parents supporting the ban. The food industry themselves has even called for greater regulation to support a more level playing field across all retailers.
If the government are serious about protecting children's health, the energy drinks ban is a straightforward place to start, and we urge the government to keep their promise and safeguard young people.
