Asda and Aldi to ban the sale of energy drinks to children under 16

If pupils are fidgety and restless, teachers say, it’s often because they are on a legal high: energy drinks.

On 18 January 2018, UK retailers Aldi and Asda said they will introduce an age limit as of March this year. The move comes after Waitrose announced that customers buying drinks after 5 March 2018 could be asked to show ID.

Both retailers cited the growing concerns about the effect of energy drinks on young people as a key motive in introducing the ban.

The NASUWT teaching union, which called for schools to ban energy drinks from their premises in December 2017, said they were pleased with Asda and Aldi’s decision.

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is also among those who have campaigned for age restrictions to prevent young children from drinking energy drinks excessively.

He responded to Asda and Aldi’s decisions by saying they “have done the right thing”. He urged other supermarkets to follow.

To date, three countries have banned energy drinks outright: Norway, Uruguay, and Denmark. Lithuania prohibits the sale of energy drinks to anyone under the age of 18.