Sharon Hodgson has set out the England under-16 energy drink ban, with sales of high-caffeine drinks to children under 16 due to stop in April 2027. The policy covers shops, vending machines and online sales, and businesses that sell the drinks to under-16s face fines of up to £2,500.
Hodgson said: “High-caffeine energy drinks have no place in children’s hands.” She added: “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.”
Sharon Hodgson April 2027
The ban applies to drinks, other than tea or coffee, containing more than 150mg of caffeine per litre. The government says around 100,000 children in England drink energy drinks high in caffeine every day, and children living in more deprived areas and households are more likely to consume them.
The plan is now moving through secondary legislation, using powers in the Food Safety Act 1990, and it still needs Parliamentary approval before it can take effect. The consultation on the proposal drew nearly 1,100 responses from businesses, public health organisations, enforcement bodies and members of the public.
Obesity Health Alliance
Katharine Jenner of the Obesity Health Alliance backed the ban, saying: “This is a hugely popular policy, backed by parents, health professionals and the public, and a vital step towards protecting children’s health.” She also said: “Strong evidence links high-caffeine energy drinks to anxiety, poor sleep, reduced concentration and harm to learning and wellbeing - restricting sales to children at a vital time in their life is just common-sense.”
Jenner said children in more deprived communities are disproportionately affected, and said extending the ban across shops, vending machines and online sales will create a fair, consistent system for retailers and families. Hodgson said the ban would reduce children’s opportunity to buy drinks harmful to their health and wellbeing.
Food Safety Act 1990
The practical test for retailers will be simple: if a drink is covered by the caffeine limit and the buyer is under 16, the sale would fall within the ban once the rules start in April 2027. The policy’s reach across in-store, vending machine and online sales is intended to close off the main routes children use to buy the drinks.
What remains to be put into force is the legal machinery under the Food Safety Act 1990. Until Parliamentary approval is secured, the April 2027 start date stays a plan rather than an operating rule, but the framework already sets out who is covered, where the ban applies and what businesses risk if they sell to children.
