Labour commits to a ban on dangerously high caffeine energy drinks to under 16s

Building on the fully-funded and fully-costed plans to provide mental health support in every school and supervised toothbrushing for kids in areas that need it most, Keir Starmer will tomorrow (Tuesday) call time on the sale of dangerously high caffeinated energy drinks to under 16s, as well as commit to a comprehensive obesity strategy.

Dangerously high caffeinated energy drinks containing over 150mg of caffeine per litre will be banned from sale in retail outlets and online to under 16s, as it has become clear to health and education experts that the current caffeine labelling system is failing to prevent young children from purchasing these drinks. The ban will be in line with current labelling rules and enforced through trading standards.

Under the Tories, the sale of dangerously high caffeine energy drinks to children has been allowed to soar, with brands aggressively marketing at children, and up to one in three children regularly drinking energy drinks. Teachers report that children as young as nine are bringing these drinks into school.

Regular soft drinks like Coca Cola and bottled Lucozade will not be included as they fall under the limit of 150mg of caffeine per litre. A 500ml can of Monster Energy contains 160mg of caffeine, equivalent to more than three shots of espresso or 5 cans of Coca Cola.

The policy will be enforced by National Trading Standards, and mirror the requirements and penalties for alcohol and tobacco, simplifying implementation both for enforcement agencies and for retailers.

Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party, said:

“There is no more important indicator of the state of a country than the wellbeing of its children. As a dad of two teenagers, I have a daily reminder of how important that is. But our young people are feeling the impact of 14 years of Conservative chaos and decline.

“They are no longer chasing their dreams, but a dentist appointment. They aspire to reach their potential, but they can barely reach a doctor.

“The sale of dangerously high caffeine energy drinks to children under the age of 16 is not justifiable or acceptable and we'll stop it. I will always take the tough decisions necessary to keep our children healthy.

“No more dither and delay, the time has come for change with Labour.

“Our Child Health Action Plan will cut waiting times, tackle the cost of living crisis and transform health outcomes for children in this country, so every child has a healthy, happy start to life.

"That's the change the country will get with Labour, because that's the change they deserve."

Wes Streeting, Labour's Shadow Health and Social Care Secretary, said:

“Rishi Sunak is too weak to stand up to his party and protect children's health. He crumbled in the face of opposition from his MPs and sacrificed his landmark Smoking Bill.

“The Tories have stood idly by as children go to school wired on the equivalent of three shots of espresso from these toxic drinks. It stops them sleeping, damages their mental health, how on earth do we expect children to learn with that in their system?

“It's time for change. Labour will end the sale of dangerously high caffeine energy drinks, provide 100,000 extra child dentistry appointments and mental health support in every school.” 

Ends

Notes:

As first reported in the Mirror: Labour will ban under-16s from buying energy drinks such as Prime and Monster - Mirror Online 

Highly caffeinated energy drinks have been shown by public health studies to affect children sleep, attention, and mental health. Teachers report that children as young as nine have been bringing them into school, and up to one in three regularly drink them. https://www.itv.com/news/2024-01-15/energy-drinks-linked-to-depression-adhd-among-children-study-shows

Labour's Child Health Action Plan

Labour's fully-funded and fully cost Child Health Action Plan will: 

1. Cut waiting times for planned paediatric services by getting the NHS working round the clock delivering 40,000 more appointments every week at evenings and weekends.
2. Tackle the crisis in children and young people's mental health, with mental health professionals in every school to provide preventative support. 
3. Boost mental health services for young people, with a Young Futures hub in every community and 8,500 new specially trained staff across CAMHS and NHS talking therapies.
4. Eliminate dental deserts and improve children's oral health by delivering 100,000 extra urgent dental appointments per year for children and supervised toothbrushing for 3-5 year olds in the areas that need it most.
5. Crack down on vaping and smoking, legislating for a progressive ban on smoking, so young people today are even less likely to smoke than they are to vote Tory.
6. Ban junk food advertising to children, implementing the 9pm watershed for junk food advertising on television and ban paid-for advertising of unhealthy foods on online media aimed at children, as part of a comprehensive obesity strategy.
7. Introduce breakfast clubs for all primary school children, so every child can start the day with a healthy breakfast and parents are able to get to work.  
8. Protect children from the growth of infectious diseases, training more health visitors so parents and babies get the best possible support and digitising the red book.
9. Ban the sale of dangerous highly caffeinated energy drinks to under 16s, so children aren't going to school wired on the equivalent of three espressos.
10. Stop the targeting of school children by fast food outlets, by empowering councils to block the development of fast-food shops outside schools.