As campaigners mark 700 days since the Government pledged to ban sales of high-caffeine energy drinks to children in the 2024 King's Speech, we’ve joined leading voices to press ministers to finally act.
Jamie Oliver, the BDA, Bite Back, Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming, Action on Salt & Sugar, and the Association of Directors of Public Health warn that continued inaction is putting children’s health at risk.
An estimated 280m energy drinks - around 300 per minute, or five drinks per second - have now been sold since the Government promised to ban direct sales to children. High-caffeine energy drinks are already required to carry warning labels saying “Not suitable for children”. Many supermarkets already voluntarily restrict sales to under-16s, but they are still widely sold to children in other shops and cafes.
Despite concerns over their health impacts, the market for energy drinks has boomed, recently overtaking cola as the UK’s largest soft drinks category, yet promised protections for children remain undelivered.
Despite the Prime Minister’s pledge to “always take the tough decisions necessary to keep our children healthy,” campaigners express frustration that a hugely popular public health policy, backed by parents, teachers and major retailers, has not been delivered.
“I genuinely can't believe we're still having to talk about this” says Jamie Oliver.
“The Government promised to ban the sale of energy drinks to children, yet here we are - two years later - and nothing.
Come on, Prime Minister. Put kids first. Keep your promise.”
The case for action is overwhelming. Teachers rank excessive energy drink consumption among their top concerns for pupils, even above some illegal substances. Eight in ten parents support restricting sales to children. Retailers themselves have called for regulation to ensure a level playing field.
“Packed with sugar and highly acidic, dentists see the damage energy drinks are causing every day,” warns our Chair Eddie Crouch.
“The result is children struggling to eat, to sleep and to learn. We've heard the promises, now the Government needs to take them off the menu."
