Threads / Less Healthy Food And Drink Advertising Restrictions / Banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children
Closed Consultation Published 3 Sep 2025 Department of Health and Social Care ↗ View on GOV.UK

Banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children

The government is seeking views on the proposed ban on the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under the age of 16 years in England.

Opened 3 Sep 2025
Closed 26 Nov 2025
▤ Verbatim text from source document

This consultation seeks views on banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under the age of 16 years (that is, children aged 15 years and under). This includes proposals on:

  • the minimum age of sale for high-caffeine energy drinks
  • the products and businesses in scope of the ban
  • how the ban will apply in vending machines
  • the length of time that businesses and enforcement authorities need to implement the ban
  • how the ban would be enforced

The proposed ban would apply in England only, since policy relating to high-caffeine energy drinks is a devolved matter.

The consultation document outlines the background on high-caffeine energy drinks and why government is concerned about children consuming them.

The consultation impact assessment sets out our provisional assessment of the impact of the proposals.