Local shops have welcomed a new consultation from the Department
of Health and Social Care on the introduction of a legal age
restriction on energy drinks.
Under the proposals, announced today, drinks that contain more
than 150mg of caffeine per litre would be illegal for sale to
anyone aged under 16. Tea, coffee and lower caffeine soft drinks
are not affected by the plans.
ACS polling of independent retailers in 2022 showed that 80%
already had a voluntary policy in place to restrict the sale of
energy drinks to young people. High caffeine soft drinks are
currently labelled as ‘not recommended for children', but to date
there is no legal restriction in place on these products.
Association of Convenience Stores chief executive James Lowman
said: “The majority of convenience stores already have a
voluntary age restriction in place on energy drinks, and will
welcome the clarity of regulation on this issue. Our members have
a longstanding track record of enforcing age restricted sales on
different products, but it is essential that the Government
effectively communicates the details of the ban to consumers to
avoid the risk of confrontation in stores.”
ACS works with Surrey and Bucks Trading Standards through one of
the UK's leading primary authority partnerships to provide
Assured Advice on age restricted sales, along with other areas of
regulation, to convenience retailers. ACS recommends the use of
Challenge25 policies to help reduce the potential for
confrontation when enforcing the law on the sale of age
restricted products.
The full announcement from the Government is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ban-on-selling-high-caffeine-energy-drinks-to-boost-kids-health
