'I'm A Doctor, Here's The Truth About The Energy Drink Ban'

Man going through energy drink aisleThe government has started planning a ban on energy drinks for all under-16s in the UK.Though the British Soft Drinks Association’s voluntary guidelines already suggest not marketing energy drinks to those 15 and younger, and the Vending and Automated Retail Association discourage owners of vending machines in public areas often visited by under-16s to remove them, the new law would make this a “ban, rather than voluntary action”. A 12-week consultation involving health and education experts, drinks manufacturers, retailers, and the public will take place next. We don’t have a set date for the new rule.But why is it happening, and why do experts think energy drinks might not be the best option for kids?Does the energy drink ban make sense medically?Speaking to HuffPost UK, Dr Suzanne Wylie, GP and medical adviser for IQdoctor, said: “From a medical perspective, the decision to ban the sale of energy drinks to under-16s is a sensible and proportionate step.”The government has expressed their concerns with the high caffeine content of energy drinks, and the GP agrees. “High caffeine intake in particular is linked to palpitations, sleep disturbance, anxiety, headaches and, in some cases, more serious heart rhythm problems,£ she shared.“Because teenagers’ bodies are still developing, they are more susceptible to these effects than adults.” The high sugar content in many of these beverages is also of concern, Dr Wylie said, because of rising type 2 diabetes and obesity rates in children. Also, sleep is crucial to healthy development – for instance, teens who don’t catch enough Zzzs often perform worse in exams.“Studies have shown that many young people consume [energy drinks] regularly, sometimes in place of breakfast or alongside gaming and late-night screen use,” Dr Wylie said. “This combination of disrupted sleep, stimulant use and poor nutrition can have a negative impact on concentration, behaviour and academic performance. The ban, therefore, aims not only to reduce direct health risks but also to support healthier habits and routines among adolescents.” Is the ban on energy drinks an overreach?Far from being regulation for regulation’s sake, Dr Wylie argues, “This move is not about restricting freedom unnecessarily but about protecting a particularly vulnerable group from substances that can cause genuine harm.“Much like existing age restrictions on alcohol and tobacco,” she ended, “it recognises that certain products are simply not appropriate for children, and it helps set clear boundaries to support their long-term wellbeing.” Related...Want To Make Your Walks Healthier? Try The 'Sing Test'Your Adult Children Fell Out. Don't Make These Mistakes Now They're Not SpeakingThis Is What UK Girls Say Puts Them Off Sport At School

Comments

Breaking news

Police hunt car after ‘one-in-a-million’ daughter, 21, killed in crash

Metro

Active-duty troops and veterans flood Trump administration website over cuts to abortion care: ‘Was my service to my country for naught?’

about 2 hours ago

‘I thought I had a winter bug, but deadly condition left me with all my limbs amputated’

Independent

Labour MSP voices concerns over ongoing pressures facing Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Lanarkshire

about 2 hours ago

Falkirk Council staff 'intimidated' while removing flags at town centre protest

Daily Record

The country's largest property deal! Na Ambani or Na Adani, who bought the country's first Prime Minister's bungalow for Rs 1,100 crore?

about 3 hours ago

Fitness Test: Why Virat Kohli gave fitness test in England instead of India? The big reason came up against

London Journal

BREAKING NEWS: Happy News for India amid Trump's tariff, now open between India and Europe to open new trade route! Learn the details

about 3 hours ago

Trump-backed bitcoin company begins trading on Nasdaq

Independent

Comments

Similar News

I’m a doctor - this one hack will stop your child’s head lice ever returning

Albanian gang jailed over £1.8m cannabis farm found in derelict Ayrshire shopping centre

Government is way behind its 1.5m homes target: Can it still be done?

French women know how to make jeans and a trench coat look chic - 8 autumn outfits I'm copying

I'm a solo traveller who lived out of a backpack for 210 days - here's the essential you MUST pack

Just hours left to live: Cancer-stricken mother, 72, shares her final moments before assisted death - 'I'm ready to go'

'I'm a fridge expert - this 65p hack will keep it smelling fresh for a month'

Marlow: Why I’m Devastated That Jerry Nadler Is Stepping Down

Trump Looks to Double Immigration Judges After Biden Left Backlog of Unprecedented 3.5M Deportation Cases

The OTHER man who's been 'putting a smile' on Olivia Attwood's face: As I'm told her marriage to footballer Brad Dack has 'its ups and downs', my spies couldn't wait to call and tell me everything about this boyband star: KATIE HIND

'I'm here to entertain' - Alcaraz books semi-final spot

Johnny Manziel Fires Savage Shot at Browns: 'I'm Rooting for 0-16'

Airdrie & Shotts MSP Neil Gray welcomes £1.8m funding support for arts and cultural festivals

Eric Trump for president? Second son leaves the door open for a White House run: ‘I’m not saying no’

Green Party elects new leader Zack Polanski - 'If you’re not a billionaire, I’m on your side'

'I'm a doctor - this common fruit could be harming your gut'

I'm 21 and work in McDonald's but have £54,000 in savings - these are my top spending tips

'I'm an NHS GP and your bloating could mean you have undiagnosed condition'

Gavin Newsom continues to troll Trump by blasting ‘I’m a Survivor’ in post about president’s health

I will have to tell my granddaughter 'Daddy killed your mummy'… I'm outraged her cannabis-smoking killer has not been sentenced for murder and his punishment is hospital, not prison

Breaking news

Police hunt car after ‘one-in-a-million’ daughter, 21, killed in crash

FACT CHECK: Has Europe really just banned gel nail polish?

No Mor Chikin! Detroit school launches legal fight to stop Chick-fil-A from being built near its playground

Governors of Washington, Oregon and California form a health alliance

‘Lost tribe’ living in Scottish woods ‘attacked with rocks by angry locals’

Reeves names last possible date for Budget as she eyes tax hikes to plug £40bn black hole

Florida will work to eliminate all childhood vaccine mandates in the state, officials say

Aid agencies tell countries to fund Afghanistan after earthquake

VP Vance to meet with families of schoolchildren after church shooting in Minneapolis

Stocks climb and pound firms as bond yields ease

Topshop to return to British high streets in John Lewis stores

Montana man charged with shooting four people at a bar pleads not guilty

Photos of protests during fourth week of Trump DC's crime crackdown

Tennessee appeals ruling against 2 gun laws, saying it caused 'unnecessary confusion and risk'

Farage branded ‘Putin-loving free speech imposter and Trump sycophant’ in savage takedown by US Congressman

83-year-old man hurt after his pet buffalo, Dozer, attacked at feeding time: ‘Could have been worse’

Prep student killed when deer hit by another car flies across the highway and lands on his vehicle

Hollywood actor sues UK council in bitter row over 500-year-old manor house

Trump bashes Epstein files as ‘Democrat hoax’ as Republicans rally nearby with sex trafficking victims

Active-duty troops and veterans flood Trump administration website over cuts to abortion care: ‘Was my service to my country for naught?’

‘I thought I had a winter bug, but deadly condition left me with all my limbs amputated’

MTG warns Epstein clients she’ll ‘say every damn name’ on House floor as she tells sex abuse victims, ‘Give me a list’

December trial set for Milwaukee judge accused of helping man to evade arrest in courtroom

Podcasters and influencers: The unexpected jobs covered under Trump's 'no tax on tips' plan

Liz Truss hints at returning to frontline politics and admits she is ‘obsessed with making Britain great again’

A summit and parade in China may signal a geopolitical shift. They might also be political jockeying

Los Angeles school district settles with parents who sued over distance learning

UK Government bond sell-off eases after Budget date confirmed

Two cars torched in Edinburgh as police probe early morning blaze

M8 crash as lorry smashes through barrier in Glasgow and person rushed to hospital

Five men charged with 'inciting racial hatred' during protest in Aberdeen

Police Scotland Operation Portaledge arrests reach 57

Labour MSP voices concerns over ongoing pressures facing Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Lanarkshire

Falkirk Council staff 'intimidated' while removing flags at town centre protest

Scots Tinder rapist who 'staged his own death' convicted of attacking two women

Spain 'worst on record' warning after multiple deaths

Pilot scheme to run additional buses on three MyBus routes in North Lanarkshire now operating

Be in the audience for our immigration debate

Angela Rayner came out fighting in our interview - but her future is now out of her control

Two women arrested in Nuneaton on suspicion of a public order offence after Sky News interview

'Ketamine Queen' pleads guilty to supplying fatal dose that killed Friends star Matthew Perry

Palestine Action supporters urged to demand they are taken into custody if they are arrested

6 Things Productivity Experts Do When They Come Back To Work After Holiday

Farage Branded 'Putin-Loving Trump Wannabe' By US Politician In Brutal Slapdown