Omotayo Adigun
The UK government has announced plans to introduce a new law prohibiting the sale of energy drinks to anyone under the age of 16. The move follows growing concerns from parents, teachers, and health experts about the negative impact these highly caffeinated drinks have on children’s health, learning, and behavior.
Despite most major supermarkets already enforcing voluntary restrictions, recent studies suggest that up to one-third of UK children consume energy drinks weekly.
Many of these drinks contain more caffeine than two cups of coffee, alongside high sugar levels, which experts say can cause serious health issues. Reported side effects include headaches, sleep disturbances, rapid heart rates, abnormal heart rhythms, and in rare cases, caffeine-related deaths.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting emphasized that children are particularly vulnerable due to their developing brains and smaller body sizes.
“You can see the impact on their health, concentration, and learning. That is why we are acting,” he explained during a BBC interview.
The proposal will undergo a 12-week consultation involving public input, health experts, educators, and retailers. While no official start date has been given, Streeting confirmed the measure will be implemented “sooner rather than later,” well before the end of the current parliamentary term.
Campaigners argue that energy drink companies often target young audiences through flashy packaging, social media marketing, and influencer partnerships.
Carrera, an 18-year-old activist from Bite Back, a youth advocacy group, criticized manufacturers for making the drinks a “social currency of the playground.”
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Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has also repeatedly raised alarms, warning that some children start their school days “bouncing off the walls” after consuming energy drinks equivalent to several shots of espresso with large amounts of sugar.
Under existing UK regulations, beverages exceeding 150mg of caffeine per liter must carry warning labels advising against consumption by children and pregnant or breastfeeding women. However, critics argue that clearer measures are needed.
Health experts, including Prof Steve Turner of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, have described the proposed ban as a “logical step” in protecting children’s health. Prof Amelia Lake from Teesside University added that energy drinks “have no place” in young people’s diets, citing links to mental health challenges, obesity, and poor academic performance.
The British Soft Drinks Association responded cautiously, noting that manufacturers had already taken steps toward self-regulation. However, it stressed that any new law must be based on robust evidence.
The proposed ban would apply across England, while Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are also reviewing similar policies.