Now Asda and Aldi ban sale of energy drinks to under-16s

‘Higher rates of smoking and drug use’

ASDA and Aldi have joined Waitrose in banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16.

The move comes amid evidence that high consumption of the drinks, such as Red Bull and Monster, fuels unruly behaviour.

It has even been suggested that regular consumption is a gateway to drug use, smoking and alcohol abuse.

Campaigner Jamie Oliver has joined teachers in calling for the Government to impose a legal ban on the sale of the drinks to children.

Asda’s Andrew Murray said: ‘We take our responsibilities as a retailer seriously and work hard to ensure we get the balance right between offering choice and doing the right thing. We have listened to our customers.’

Aldi spokesman Oliver King added: ‘We are introducing this age restriction in response to growing concern about the consumption of energy drinks among young people.’ Energy drinks with high caffeine levels carry a label stating they are ‘not recommended for children’, yet research suggests 69 per cent of adolescents and a quarter of children under ten are drinking them.

Teachers say there are enormous difficulties in teaching children high on caffeine. Some say they have to devise back-up lesson plans, depending on whether the children are on a ‘high’ or ‘crashing’.

Dr Amelia Lake, of Teesside University, said: ‘Our review of the evidence has clearly shown these energy drinks are harmful for under-18s.

‘Their consumption is associated with a range of negative effects and unhealthy behaviours, including physical health complaints, such as headaches, palpitations and insomnia, and higher rates of alcohol, smoking and drug use.’

Kevin Courtney, of the National Education Union, said: ‘Schools can’t control what’s on sale beyond the school gates. If the Government is serious about protecting children, it needs to put their interests before the profits of the energy drinks industry and ban the sale of these harmful products to under-16s.’

British Soft Drinks Association director general Gavin Partington said: ‘Energy drinks and their ingredients have been deemed safe by regulatory authorities around the world.’