Corner shops and convenience stores sit at the heart of every community. Open all hours. There when you need them.
Emergency store cupboard top-ups, triple A batteries for TV remotes, or paracetamol for the headache after the night before, they always save your bacon (and they usually have that too).
And for many children, they are a frequent refuelling stop, before and after school.
However, high-caffeine energy drinks, sold in the same shops we use to restock our cupboards, are not the kind of fuel we want our kids putting in their tanks.
They may seem harmless, but research has linked high-caffeine formulations to a range of potential harms, including disrupted sleep, increased anxiety, poor concentration and negative educational outcomes.
That’s why we’re proposing a ban on the sale of drinks containing more than 150mg of caffeine per litre to anyone under the age of 16.
Retailers already taking voluntary measures
It’s also why this government is inviting a wide range of interested parties – including retailers, hospitality, drinks manufacturers, educators, and public health professionals – to have their say in a new public consultation on how we implement this ban in practice.
But we’re acutely aware of the impact measures like this have on retailers – especially smaller, independent shops on our high streets – and we want to work in partnership with the sector to get this right. We want your views on how we enforce it in a fair and practical way.
Many large retailers and small businesses are already voluntarily restricting sales to children.
‘Millions in health savings’
And banning them across the board is a move we believe could benefit tens of thousands of children and deliver tens of millions in health savings.
However, we need to level the playing field so those businesses already refusing to sell the drinks to children aren’t at a disadvantage.
If we can establish a consistent, national approach, we can help create peace of mind for your customers, particularly mums, dads and carers.
Banning sales of high-caffeine energy drinks to children is just one part of our broader Plan for Change.
It puts prevention at the heart of our health agenda, a central theme of our 10 Year Health Plan to rebuild an NHS that works for everyone.
I encourage every retailer reading The Grocer to contribute to this important consultation. It’s essential we understand how best to implement this ban from the people it directly affects.
I thank those of you who are already restricting sales voluntarily and encourage others to join them before the ban is mandated.
Let’s do all we can to protect current and future generations as early as possible.
Together, we can support every child, every family, to make healthier choices, every day, for life.
Ashley Dalton is an MP and parliamentary under-secretary of state for public health and prevention in the Department of Health & Social Care
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