Shops warn of energy drink risk to children
▶ Waitrose and Spinneys are first to post warning signs on their high-caffeine products
Supermarkets will display signs warning of the damaging effect energy drinks have on children’s health amid worries they are causing obesity and gastric problems.
Spinneys and Waitrose will be the first to highlight the impact on health, as doctors and teachers said the drinks were leading to hyperactivity, poor sleep and higher blood pressure.
But the shops stopped short of the decision by some British supermarkets this month to ban the sale of energy drinks to those under16s this month.
“At Waitrose in the UAE, we are in the process of placing signs approved by the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology to provide a health warning to customers, including children under 16 years of age, against consumption of energy drinks,” a spokesman said.
“Signs should be in place by the end of January. As it is not illegal to sell to children under 16, we appreciate it will be very difficult to enforce the restriction and have asked our stores to monitor the sale to children.”
Brendon Fulton, principal of Dubai British School, which has banned caffeinated drinks, said change would only occur when parents began to stop their children from drinking them.
“Schools and parents need to be doing more to protect our youth from the obvious dangers these drinks pose,” he said.
Supermarkets will warn against children drinking caffeinated energy drinks after a UK ban on sales of products to under 16s.
Waitrose and Spinneys are leading the way to educate parents on the health risks posed to young people by energy drinks, but they have stopped short of banning their sale to children.
Health warnings against children drinking products such as Monster and Red Bull will be displayed in shops this month, a move welcomed by doctors and teachers.
“All the evidence points to a negative impact the consumption of energy drinks is having on a child’s behaviour and attention,” said Brendon Fulton, principal of Dubai British School, which has banned caffeinated drinks.
“I fully welcome all efforts by supermarkets and regulators in Dubai to make it more difficult for young children to purchase and consume these drinks.
“The real win will be when parents join schools and supermarkets in enforcing these bans.”
Caffeine drinks stimulate the central nervous system and affect adults and children in a similar manner. High amounts can cause trouble sleeping, lack of concentration, gastric problems, upset stomach and obesity.
It is also known to increase the blood pressure and heart rate among teenagers.
“Parents need to work with the school to ensure access to these drinks is significantly limited, if not completely eradicated,” Mr Fulton said.
“The fact that regulators and supermarkets are looking to restrict sales to young children and place health warnings on these products is a clear sign that schools and parents need to be doing more to protect our youth from the obvious dangers these drinks pose.”
In the UK, Asda and Aldi will ban the sale of energy drinks to children under 16.
Asda will ban the sale of 84 high-caffeine drinks from March 5, while German supermarket chain Aldi will enforce an age restriction on buying soft drinks containing 150mg of caffeine a litre from March 1.
Campaigners in Britain have lobbied in favour of a UK-wide ban.
Waitrose in the UAE is represented by Fine Fare Food Market under a licensing agreement, as is Spinneys.
“At Waitrose in the UAE, we are in the process of placing signs approved by the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology to provide a health warning to customers, including children under 16 years of age, against the consumption of energy drinks,” a spokesman said.
“Signs should be in place by the end of January. As it is not illegal to sell to children under 16, we appreciate it will be very difficult to enforce the restriction and have therefore asked our stores to monitor the sale to children.”
Fine Fare Food is developing a community social responsibility programme, for which a sugar review will form an integral part.
Medical professionals have supported efforts to make wider information available so parents can make more informed checkout choices when buying for their children.
“The consumption of caffeine among adolescents should be extremely limited,” said Dr Shoaib Khan, a paediatrician at Canadian Specialist Hospital.
“Caffeine should be completely eliminated from children’s diet as it interferes with their physical and mental development.
“It is loaded with calories which deprives children of nutrition required for growth. It does not boost energy and can also affect their performance in school.
“We advise parents to either limit the consumption of caffeine in their child’s diet or eliminate it completely.
“It is dangerous for a child’s physical and mental health and can lead to complications at a very early age.”
Apart from energy drinks, coffee and tea, caffeine is also found in chocolate, ice-cream, jelly beans, lollipops, beef jerky, marshmallows and gummy bears.
Headache, insomnia, dehydration, irritability, lethargy, constipation, lack of concentration, fatigue and poor performance in school are some of the symptoms of high caffeine consumption.
Dr Dinesh Dhanwal, an endocrinologist at NMC Speciality Hospital in Dubai, said high sugar levels in most energy drinks should be another concern for parents.
“The high levels of sugar in these type of drinks can create more of a problem, and encourage obesity and diabetes,” Dr Dhanwal said.
“We know caffeine is a stimulant. It can cause anxiety and mood swings in adults so this effect is often more pronounced in children.
“Putting on weight can encourage a higher heart rate, so when caffeine is taken, this problem can be made worse. Most of the young people I meet are obese, and they have developed some kind of dependence on sugary drinks, often with high caffeine levels.
“It is a good idea to offer more advice to parents on the caffeine content of the food and drink they are giving their children.
“This kind of supermarket programme will help the wider population’s health.”
Parents need to work with the school to ensure access to these drinks is significantly limited, if not completely eradicated BRENDON FULTON Principal of Dubai British School