The Welsh government has announced it is considering a ban on the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16, citing evidence linking consumption to negative health outcomes. Young people and experts have voiced support for the plan, with one 17-year-old noting it was "really easy to start relying on them." The British Soft Drinks Association, meanwhile, called the proposed ban "unnecessary and not supported by robust evidence of overconsumption or harm" - a statement that will surely be filed under "things beverage industry lobbyists say."
The move follows England's ban, where drinks like Red Bull, Monster, Relentless and Prime will be illegal to sell to under-16s from April. Any drink containing more than 150mg of caffeine per litre will be off-limits to children and younger teenagers in shops, restaurants, cafes, vending machines and online. Lower-caffeine soft drinks such as Diet Coke, as well as tea and coffee, are not affected - so the British tradition of giving a child a cup of tea remains safe, for now.
Excessive caffeine consumption has been linked to headaches and sleep problems, and experts note that young people can be more sensitive to caffeine because they have smaller bodies and their brains are still developing. Some popular drinks brands contain more caffeine than two cups of coffee or four cans of cola - which is either impressive or alarming, depending on your age and how much you enjoy sleeping.
Vee, 17, from Cardiff, said she was happy about the proposed ban, while Sunny, 16, urged people to "just have a coffee" instead of an energy drink. Too much caffeine can cause a rapid heart rate, abnormal heart rhythms and seizures, and although rare, there have been some deaths linked to excess caffeine. The sugary versions of the drinks can also contribute to obesity and damaged teeth, according to the Association of UK Dieticians.
Currently, any drink other than tea or coffee with over 150mg of caffeine requires a label warning of its high caffeine content and stating it is not recommended for children or pregnant or breast-feeding women. For most adults, up to 400mg of caffeine a day - about four cups of instant coffee or five cups of tea - is considered safe, which is roughly the amount required to get through a Monday.
Aisling Pigott, a nutritionist and registered dietician in Cardiff, said she was pleased to hear of the proposed ban but that it was probably "10 years too late." She said Wales has "disproportionate concerns around diet and lifestyle" and while this would not be a "magic bullet," it was a "step in the right direction." Pigott described caffeine as "a bit like going into your overdraft - you might immediately have a little bit more money or cash, but that does need to be repaid in some format." She said someone may have a little more concentration, but that is "followed by a crash."
"Because I'm a dietitian, my concern around excessive consumption of these drinks also sits with what are they not consuming when they're drinking?" she said. "I see and hear a lot of children and young people drinking these drinks instead of food, so using the sugar and caffeine as an easier access to give energy than really nutritious, healthy, balanced diet."
In a written statement, Public and Preventative Health Minister Nerys Evans said the latest evidence suggested a link between consumption of high-caffeine energy drinks and negative health outcomes in children. "This includes increased frequency of headaches, irritation, tiredness and stomach aches, reduced sleep duration and quality and increased risk of stress, anxiety and depression," she said. "The previous Welsh government consulted and gathered evidence on proposals to restrict the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16, with broad support for action."
Evans added: "Having considered the evidence and responses to that earlier consultation, the current Welsh government intends to take forward proposals to prohibit the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16, subject to the outcome of this consultation. These are drinks, other than tea or coffee, that contain over 150mg of caffeine per litre."
The Welsh government said the consultation would seek views on the proposed "enforcement framework," including "online age-verification arrangements, assessing compliance activity, sanctions, implementation timescales and monitoring arrangements." Because nothing says "protecting youth" like a robust age-verification system for online energy drink purchases.
The British Soft Drinks Association said its members have not marketed or promoted the sale of energy drinks to under-16s since 2010. "All high-caffeine beverages carry a 'not recommended for children' label," it said. "The available evidence shows that the vast majority of caffeine consumed by children and adolescents comes from sources other than energy drinks." Which is a bit like arguing you shouldn't ban one unhealthy thing because kids also eat other unhealthy things - technically true, but not exactly a winning defense.