By Charlotte Webster-
Sales of energy drinks to children under 16 ware to be banned by most major UK supermarkets from Monday.
The ban follows concerns about their high levels of sugar and caffeine, and impact on health and behaviour.
Customers buying drinks containing more than 150mg of caffeine per litre in branches of Asda, Aldi, the Co-op, Lidl, Morrisons, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose will be asked for identification under the new proposals. Customers under 16 will be denied any service of energy drinks.
The high street chemist Boots is the latest retailer to announce a ban, following the lead of a voluntary restriction taken by Waitrose in January.
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Drinks like Red Bull, Relentless, Monster Energy and Rockstar will no longer be legally acce Children and teenagers consume them more than adults, even though industry labelling guidelines statew that any soft drink with more than 150mg of caffeine per litre must carry a warning about its high caffeine content and state it is not recommended for children.
The compulsory health warnings read: “High caffeine content. Not recommended for children or pregnant or breastfeeding women or persons sensitive to caffeine.”
The ban is welcome given the high lack of restraint among children in consuming sugary products. Sugar can be very damaging to the system and is a contributor to obesity world wide and badly decayed teeth. Many children will try and get round the law by getting irresponsible adults to help them purchase banned sugary products in the same way they do with cigarettes. Similar punitive measures like those applying to adults who break the law by aiding children to purchase illegal products will automatically be in effect.
The teachers’ union NASUWT called last year for the sale of the .drinks to under-16s to be banned by all retailers. Its national official for education, Darren Northcott, described the beverages as “legal highs” that helped to fuel bad behaviour in schools.
Also seeking a ban are medical experts, including the charity
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