The UK government has confirmed that the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under-16s in England will be banned from April 2027, subject to parliamentary approval.

The legislation will cover drinks containing more than 150mg of caffeine per litre, excluding tea and coffee. It will apply across shops, online retailers and vending machines, while business-to-business sales will be excluded.

Retailers will be responsible for preventing sales to under-16s, with local authorities overseeing enforcement. Businesses that breach the legislation could face fines of up to £2,500.

The decision follows a consultation that received 1,095 responses from businesses, public health organisations, enforcement bodies and members of the public, with strong support for introducing an age restriction.

Around 100,000 children in England are estimated to consume high-caffeine energy drinks every day. Evidence has linked consumption to anxiety, disrupted sleep and reduced concentration, with children in more deprived communities disproportionately affected.

Public Health Minister Sharon Hodgson said the ban would reduce children’s access to drinks that could harm their health, wellbeing and education.

Katharine Jenner, executive director of the Obesity Health Alliance, welcomed the announcement as a “vital step towards protecting children’s health”.

She 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 added that extending the restriction across shops, vending machines and online sales would create a “fair, consistent system” for retailers and families.

What the ban means for vending operators

For vending operators, the legislation is expected to prevent affected energy drinks from being sold through machines, regardless of where those machines are located.

According to the Vending & Automated Retail Association (AVA), this will include machines in factories, warehouses, workplaces, staff rooms, adult-only gyms and transport hubs, as well as publicly accessible locations. The person controlling or managing the premises where a machine is installed will be responsible for compliance.

AVA said it was disappointed that the government had not adopted a location-based approach or allowed age-verification technology.

The association highlighted that more than 82% of vending machines are located at sites that do not permit access to children and estimated that the restriction could cost the industry £43 million annually.

Operators do not need to make immediate changes, but AVA advised members to assess which machines and product ranges could be affected and begin considering suitable replacement drinks ahead of implementation.

The British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA) also highlighted the voluntary measures already taken by manufacturers. A spokesperson said: “BSDA members have led the way in responsible retailing through the association’s long-standing voluntary Code of Practice. Since 2010, our members have committed not to market or promote the sale of energy drinks to under-16s, and all high-caffeine beverages carry a ‘not recommended for children’ label.”

"The available evidence shows that the vast majority of caffeine consumed by children and adolescents comes from sources other than energy drinks."

The BSDA said it would continue engaging with the government as the details of the legislation are developed.

The government intends to introduce the measures through secondary legislation under the Food Safety Act 1990, with the aim of improving children’s physical and mental health and supporting their concentration and learning.