Energy drinks should be banned for under-16s: Action on Sugar
Energy drinks should not be sold to young people under the age of 16, according to the UK campaign group Action on Sugar. The group conducted a study which found that the average sugar content of such drinks exceeded the entire recommended daily maximum for a UK adult. Chef and campaigner Jamie Oliver also called for a ban, along with various teacher organisations. The group also called for the level of caffeine in such products to be reduced, after the study found that 43 different energy drinks each contained as much caffeine as two cups of coffee in one serving. 

Energy drinks should be banned from sale to young people under the age of 16, health experts have warned in light of a study showing they have unacceptably high levels of sugar and caffeine.

The study in the journal BMJ Open analyses the sugar, caffeine and carbohydrate content of energy drinks, which include brands such as Monster and Rockstar as well as supermarket own-brands. In both 2015 and 2017, the average sugar content of the energy drinks was more than the entire recommended daily maximum for an adult in the UK.

The campaigning group Action on Sugar, whose researchers carried out the study, is calling for a ban on sales to under-16s.

“This study illustrates the huge contribution of energy drinks to sugar intake, which is linked to the development of obesity and various types of cancer, as well as type 2 diabetes and rotting our children’s teeth. They are completely inappropriate for children to consume, form no part of a healthy balanced diet, and should be banned for under-16s,” said its chairman, Graham MacGregor, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Queen Mary University of London.



TV chef and food campaigner Jamie Oliver has also called for a ban on sales of energy drinks to children, as have teacher groups.

Energy drinks are marketed for general consumption, rather than for athletes, who are targeted with so-called “sports” drinks. Children and teenagers drink them more than older adults, even though energy drinks with high caffeine levels over 150mg per litre have to carry a warning that they are not recommended for children or pregnant women. The study found that the 43 products carrying such warnings contained the caffeine equivalent of nearly two cups of coffee.

“Since children and teenagers are the main consumers of energy drinks, manufacturers should consider reducing levels of caffeine,” says the study.

That would also help reduce the sugar levels. “The removal of caffeine also allows for the removal of 10.3% of sugar without affecting taste, which has the potential to reduce body weight of adults by 0.6 kg, without any change in sugar-sweetened drinks consumption,” says the paper.

Soft drinks are responsible for 30% of the sugar intake of children aged 4 to 10 and 40% of those aged 11 to 18. Energy drinks were typically sold in 500ml cans and bottles, which is larger than a standard soft drink. In 2015, 86% of products in 2015 exceeded the maximum daily recommendation for sugar intake for a child aged 7–10 years (24 g/day – equivalent to six teaspoons of sugar) and 78% in 2017.

The threat of the sugary soft drinks tax, which the government plans to introduce in April, has led to some reformulation of some of energy drinks to reduce their sugar levels – but only by 10% on drinks that are still very high in sugar. Almost all – 95% – would receive a red label for sugar content under nutritional traffic light warnings.