The NHS has banned the sale of energy drinks to children in Scottish hospitals. The ban will stop the sales of energy drinks with more than 150mg of caffeine per litre to children under the age of 16.
Some argue that the ban should be extended to all under-16s in Scotland, and the rest of the UK, reports Perspecs.
However, others call a ban on energy drinks for teenagers "draconian, arbitrary and capricious".
The Claim
Professor Steve Taylor, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Officer for Scotland, welcomes the move, saying it will make NHS hospitals in the country "healthier".
He also argues that a similar ban should be put in place outside the NHS to "protect and improve child health".
He said: "Energy drinks are seen as a quick fix in fighting fatigue when, in fact, they often have the opposite effect. They can make children irritable and lethargic.
"These products often contain a number of ingredients, including amino acids, sweeteners, sugars and caffeine - none of which are necessary or beneficial to our diet."
Turner says that energy drinks contribute to Scotland's high obesity rates, and the ban gives "a clear message to us all that high sugar foods are unhealthy and should be avoided".
He adds: "We would like to see a ban on the sale of energy drinks to children under the age of 16, alongside the introduction of a minimum price across all energy drinks brands.
"We’d also like to see clear sponsorship rules for events and sport athletes, ensuring these drinks are not glamourised and targeted at impressionable children."
The Counterclaim
A ban on energy drinks for under-16s was proposed by the UK government last year, but so far they have yet to do so. When the proposal was first announced, Christopher Snowdon argued that the government often ban first and ask questions later.
In his piece in the Spectator, he asks what the government is trying to protect children from: sugar or caffeine?
He notes that most energy drinks have a similar amount of sugar in them as a regular soft drink and less than a typical dessert.
Similarly, energy drinks contain the same amounts of caffeine as instant coffee - and considerably less than a high street coffee.
Snowdon argues: "Dare I suggest that nobody is calling for either of these prohibitions because making it a criminal offence to sell coffee or cola [to teenagers] would strike most people as bonkers?
"And so it is, but it is no less ridiculous than banning teenagers from buying energy drinks."
He calls a ban on energy drinks "draconian, arbitrary and capricious", as well as "downright sinister".
The Facts
Young people in the UK are the biggest consumers of energy drinks in Europe. More than two-thirds of 10- to 17-year-olds consume energy drinks in the UK.
There are currently no official UK recommendations on caffeine consumption levels in children, but the European Food Standards Agency advises a maximum of 3mg of caffeine per kg of body weight.
For an average sized 14-year-old in the UK, weighing around 50kg, this is an upper daily limit of 150mg of caffeine.
Red Bull, for instance, contains 75mg per can, while Rock Star (153.8mg), Monster (160mg), Relentless (162.6mg), and No Fear (203.3mg) exceed this limit.
In contrast, a can of Coca-cola has 31.4mg of caffeine, and a Starbucks latte contains 161mg.
