Energy drinks are so bad for the health that the UK may ban their sale to children

The Labour party has committed to ban the sale of energy drinks, such as Red Bull and Monster, to under-16s should they win the general election on July 4.

So far, the election campaign has been light on proposals to address the pressing issues facing our food systems, so the news that the Labour party will take action on junk food advertising and ban the sale of energy drinks to young people is welcomed.

Energy drinks contain large amounts of caffeine and sugar and offer no nutritional role in children’s diets. They are also harmful to their mental and physical health and hinder learning.

Around 790 million litres of energy drinks are consumed in Britain each year, and young people are the main consumers.

Under Labour’s proposal, energy drinks containing over 150mg of caffeine per litre will be banned.

In a previous study, my colleagues and I found that young people in England living in poorer areas are drinking more energy drinks while numbers of young people consuming these drinks in wealthier communities are falling.

We used data from 2,587 young people who took part in the National Diet and Nutrition Survey between 2008 and 2016. They ranged in age from 11 to 18 years. Each participant completed a food diary detailing what and how much they...

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