Convenience stores 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 per cent 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