The British Government today outlined plans to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children.
It means the United Kingdom is joining a number of other European countries in a move that it said could cut obesity, reduce anxiety, and improve classroom concentration.
The proposed restriction would apply to anyone aged under-16, the Department of Health said in a statement that began a formal 12-week consultation period with industry leaders and health experts.
The measure would need parliamentary approval, which is widely expected and unlikely to require a vote.
If it went into effect, the regulation would mean that selling energy drinks containing more than 150 milligrams of caffeine per litre to anyone younger than 16 would be illegal.
The ban would apply to all retailers — those selling online and in shops — as well as to restaurants, cafes, and vending machines.
Sales of tea, coffee and lower-caffeine soft drinks would not be affected, the Health Department said.
Around 100,000 British children consume at least one high-caffeine energy drink per day, according to the Government.
It cited “growing evidence linking these drinks to harmful effects on children, including disrupted sleep, increased anxiety, poor concentration and reduced educational outcomes”.
In the statement, Wes Streeting, the British Health Secretary, said: “Energy drinks might seem harmless, but the sleep, concentration and wellbeing of today’s kids are all being impacted, while high-sugar versions damage their teeth and contribute to obesity”.
The statement added that a ban could prevent obesity in up to 40,000 children and deliver health benefits worth tens of millions of dollars.
Governments in Britain have long been sensitive to accusations of over-regulation and of curbing personal freedoms — a subject Prime Minister Keir Starmer acknowledged today.
“I won’t shy away from decisions to protect kids, even if there are the predictable cries of nanny state,” Starmer wrote on social media.
“We’re stopping shops from selling high-caffeine energy drinks to under 16s, so they can turn up to school ready to learn.”
Speaking to the BBC, Streeting said the Government differentiated between public health measures directed at children and those for adults.
“There is a legitimate debate about the extent to which the Government should and should not dictate what people can buy, or what is marketed and what isn’t,” he said.
“Parents, teachers and young people themselves are urging us to act when it comes to children and young people.”
He added: “When it comes to adults, we tend to take the approach of good information, good support but letting people make their own choices”.
Several other countries — including Latvia, Lithuania and Poland — have already banned selling energy drinks to children.
In Britain, governments have been debating the issue for at least seven years.
The measure announced today would apply only in England, with political leaders in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland able to decide whether to follow suit.
Many major retailers in Britain already voluntarily restrict sales of energy drinks to children, but the Government argued that it must intervene to prevent habits from forming early in children’s lives.
In its statement, the Government cited research showing that up to a third of children aged 13 to 16 and nearly a quarter of children 11 to 12 consumed one high-energy drink every week.
A trade group which speaks for the soft-drink industry noted that its members had already introduced curbs voluntarily.
“Our members do not market or promote the sale of energy drinks to under-16s and label all high-caffeine beverages as ‘not recommended for children,’” Gavin Partington, director-general of the group, the British Soft Drinks Association, said in a statement.
“As with all government policy, it’s essential that any forthcoming regulation is based on a rigorous assessment of the evidence that’s available,” he added.
The proposed ban was welcomed by groups representing health professionals, including the British Dental Association, which posted on social media: “We called for this. We applaud this.”
It also urged the Government to go further to curb the impact of unhealthy food and drink on children’s health.
“Products that are habit-forming, highly acidic and can contain over 20 teaspoons of sugar have no place on the menu for children,” said Eddie Crouch, chairman of the association.
“Our kids are growing up in a toxic food environment, and this boldness needs to be applied across the piece.”
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Written by: Stephen Castle
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