SCHOOLCHILDREN will be banned from purchasing energy drinks under a new law in England that’s due to come into effect soon.
This rule will make it illegal to sell drinks containing more than 150mg of caffeine per litre to anyone under 16.
Tea, coffee, and lower-caffeine soft drinks will be exempt from the ban Credit: Getty
The ban is due to come into place from April next year and will apply to restaurants, cafes, as well as online and in person shops.
Vending machines will also face a total ban on the drinks to prevent under-16s from circumventing the new restrictions.
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The government is introducing the new rule in the hopes of battling obesity rates among young people.
Tea, coffee, and lower-caffeine soft drinks, such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi, will be exempt from the ban.
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However, popular brands such as Red Bull, Monster, Relentless, and Prime breach the new caffeine limit and therefore will no longer be able to be sold to children.
Some of these drinks contain up to the same amount of caffeine as two cups of coffee or four cans of cola.
These products already carry manufacturer warnings stating they are not recommended for children.
And yet many of them have become popular among young people, with YouTubers like KSI and Logan Paul promoting the viral Prime drink.
Up to a third of children in the UK consume at least one energy drink every week, with boys particularly high consumers.
Public Health Minister, Sharon Hodgson, said: “High-caffeine energy drinks have no place in children’s hands.
“We know thousands of kids in England consume them daily but the evidence is clear that this can cause anxiety, affect their sleep and concentration and can have a detrimental impact on their education.
“This ban will reduce children’s opportunity to buy drinks that are harmful to their health and wellbeing, and demonstrates our firm commitment to creating the healthiest generation of children ever.”
