Energy drinks ban: children play a big role in the market

Due to health concerns related to the consumption of highly caffeinated and sugared energy drinks, the UK government plans to ban the sale of them to children in England. At this stage it is still unclear as to whether the cut off point will be 16 or 18 years old. While the idea of a child drinking such products may seem inconceivable to some, a 2012 survey by the European Food Safety Authority revealed that their consumption in younger age brackets is actually quite prevalent. Compared to just 30 percent of adults, 68 percent of 10 to 18 year olds said they had consumed an energy drink in the past year while a worrying 18 percent of 3 to 10 year olds professed to the same.

The children which would be affected by the ban clearly play a big role in what is currently a large and lucrative market. Figures from the British Soft Drinks Association show that in 2016 a total of 679 million litres were consumed in the UK - up from 560 million in 2012.