Energy drinks BANNED in England for under-16 school kids after major Mirror campaign backed by Jamie Oliver

Energy drinks BANNED in England for under-16 school kids after major Mirror campaign backed by Jamie Oliver EXCLUSIVE: The Government has confirmed a ban on sale of energy drinks - such as Red Bull, Monster and Rockstar - to under-16s from next April, in a major win for the Mirror's campaign Jamie Oliver has hailed a 'pretty special moment' as the government confirmed energy drinks would be banned for under-16s from next April. The ban is a win for a Mirror campaign, with Jamie demanding that sales of the high-caffeine drinks to children were tackled. The government last year launched a public consultation on a possible ban on sales to under-16s in England, and has confirmed it would now go ahead, meeting a key Labour manifesto pledge. Jamie told the Mirror: “Eight years ago, we came together to protect British kids’ brains and bodies from being flooded with high-caffeine energy drinks and to see this ban finally announced is a pretty special moment. “It may not sound like a big deal - it’s just this one product right? But when you see first hand, as I’ve seen, how many kids are spending their days fuelled on this stuff that’s not only bad for their health but also makes it challenging to learn, you realise quite how big this is. “We don’t want our teachers having to switch between Lesson plan A and Lesson Plan B because half the class is bouncing off the walls on energy drinks. So it’s not just about a drink can - it’s all those beautiful ripples of kids now set-up to learn and thrive.” Around 100,000 children in England consume the high-caffeine drinks in England every day, harming their physical and mental health. We reported teachers' warning that kids as young as six are drinking energy drinks on the way to school and highlighted their effect on classroom behaviour. Public Health Minister Sharon Hodgson, said: "High-caffeine energy drinks have no place in children’s hands. We know thousands of kids in England consume them daily but the evidence is clear that this can cause anxiety, affect their sleep and concentration and can have a detrimental impact on their education. "This ban will reduce children’s opportunity to buy drinks that are harmful to their health and wellbeing and demonstrates our firm commitment to creating the healthiest generation of children ever.” The Mirror campaign, working with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, highlighted harmful effects on children, including disrupted sleep, increased anxiety, poor concentration and reduced educational outcomes. Boys are more likely to consume energy drinks with products such as Prime Energy, Monster and Rockstar have become increasingly popular. Most supermarkets agreed to stop selling energy drinks to under-16s some eight years ago in response to our campaign exposing the dangers for children but parents continued to raise concerns about how they can be easily bought from corner shops on the way to school. The ban will apply to drinks, other than tea or coffee, containing more than 150mg of caffeine per litre sold in shops, vending machines and online. Ministers say the new ban could prevent obesity in up to 40,000 children. Eddie Crouch, chair of the British Dental Association, said: “Packed with sugar and highly acidic, dentists have seen the damage energy drinks do every day. The result is children struggling to eat, to sleep and to learn. Taking them off the menu for under 16s is a victory for common sense." Shops will be responsible for ensuring these drinks are not sold to under-16s while local authorities will enforce the ban. Businesses that break the law face fines of up to £2,500. The ban follows a consultation which received nearly 1,100 responses from businesses, public health organisations, enforcement bodies and members of the public. It will become law using powers contained in the Food Safety Act 1990 and will come into force in April 2027, subject to Parliamentary approval. Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention Any parent will tell you - encouraging children to eat and drink healthily is a constant and daily battle. Our high streets and corner shops are overflowing with food and drink products that are the very opposite of nutritious, healthy, or natural. And when it comes to energy drinks in particular, the numbers are stark. Around 100,000 children in England drink high-caffeine energy drinks every single day. That's thousands of young people, whose minds and bodies are still growing, whose long-term health could be compromised by drinks that are full of caffeine. Health experts link these drinks to disrupted sleep, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and poorer performance at school. That’s a pretty damning rap sheet. This is why the government is acting. The sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under-16s in England will be banned, whether they're bought in shops, online or even from vending machines. This is the common-sense action parents have been calling for. The advice from clinicians and teachers more than backs up their concerns. We also know children from poorer backgrounds are more likely to consume these drinks, meaning the health risks are even greater in deprived communities. We cannot stand by and ignore this injustice. And we aren’t. We are committed to giving every child the best possible start in life and this ban on selling high-energy caffeine drinks to young people is another step closer to creating the healthiest generation of children ever. This should give families the reassurance they need that this government will always put children’s health first. How do caffeinated drinks compare? - can of cola contains 40mg caffeine - mug of tea contains around 75mg caffeine - coffee can contain 80mg caffeine in an espresso or 100mg caffeine in a mug of instant coffee - a single can of Red Bull (250ml) contains 80mg caffeine, the same as one espresso or two cans of cola –comparing with the proposed threshold a litre would contain 320mg of caffeine - a single can Monster or Relentless Energy Drinks (500ml) contains 160mg caffeine, the same as two espressos or four cans of cola – comparing with the proposed threshold a litre would contain 320 mg of caffeine - Prime Energy (330ml) contains 140mg caffeine, the same as almost two espressos and over three colas – comparing with the proposed a litre would contain 420mg of caffeine