High-Caffeine Energy Drinks: Age Restrictions
House of Commons · Written Statements · 16 Jul 2026 · 1 speech · Official Report
Today I am publishing the Government response to the consultation on banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children in England. The Government have decided to introduce legislation to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 in England. This action will help create the healthiest generation of children ever and supports our shift from sickness to prevention. The Government have a manifesto commitment to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children in England. This has been subject to consultation which ran from 3 September to 26 November 2025. Having considered the consultation responses and the available evidence, this Government are taking this decisive action to support the health of our children. The consultation received 1,095 responses from individuals and organisations, including businesses, public health organisations and enforcement bodies. Overall, there was significant support with the proposal to introduce an age restriction on the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks. There is a large body of evidence consistently reporting an association between the consumption of high-caffeine energy drinks and a range of possible negative outcomes on children’s physical and mental health, as well as their education. We estimate that around 100,000 children consume high-caffeine energy drinks at least daily in England. Of particular concern, research highlights that children living in more deprived areas and households are more...