Parents! Share your views on kids and energy drinks

As part of the national Childhood Obesity Plan, the government is now considering legislating to make it illegal to sell energy drinks directly to children. This follows action from most of the major supermarkets earlier this year to voluntarily stop selling these heavily caffeinated (and often very sugary) drinks to under-16s.  

However, energy drink brands such as Monster, Red Bull or Rockstar are still widely available in convenience and independent stores, so it is still very easy for children to purchase them. 

The consultation suggests the government may consider going further than the retailers have to date, and extend restrictions to include 16 and 17 year olds. European countries such as Latvia and Lithuania have already banned energy drinks to all under-18s.  The government is also canvassing views on any other measures they could take, and how any new regulations should be managed in vending machines.

The Children's Food Campaign is responding to the consultation, and is now seeking the views of parents to include as part of our submission. Any parent of children under 18 is welcome to take part by joining our Parents' Jury. 

Our easy survey takes just 3-5 minutes to complete and asks parents:

• if you support a ban or not, and why
• whether any proposed ban should go up to 16 or 18
• your thoughts on sales via vending machines
• any other suggestions or comments you have on the topic of children and energy drinks.

The survey is open until Thursday 25 October, so that the Children's Food Campaign can collate responses and incorporate these into our submission of evidence to the Government consultation, which closes in November.

For more information:

• Sign up to the Parents' Jury here and take the survey
• Read more about the Government consultation on banning the sale of energy drinks to children