The UK government has announced a ban on selling high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 in England, starting in April 2027. Public Health Minister Sharon Hodgson confirmed the plan in a government press release on 16 July 2026 (gov.uk). The ban covers any drink with more than 150mg of caffeine per litre, but tea and coffee are not included (Sky News).

The rules will apply everywhere drinks are sold in England: shops, vending machines, and online. Retailers are responsible for following the law, and local councils will enforce it. Any business caught breaking the rules faces fines of up to £2,500 (The Guardian). Reuters independently confirmed both the April 2027 start date and the details of the ban (Reuters).

The government's reasoning is about protecting children's health. In its announcement, the government said "High-caffeine energy drinks have no place in children's hands" (gov.uk). The ban also aims to help reduce childhood obesity and support parents in managing what their children drink (The Guardian).

About 100,000 children in England drink high-caffeine energy drinks every day, according to government figures cited in the announcement (The Guardian). The ban follows a public consultation — a process where the government asks businesses, health organisations, and ordinary people for their views — which found strong support for an age limit (The Guardian). The government also published an impact assessment, a document looking at the likely effects of the ban, on 23 June 2025 (gov.uk impact assessment).

The ban is being created using a legal tool called secondary legislation under the Food Safety Act 1990. This lets government ministers introduce new rules without passing a brand-new law through Parliament, though Parliament still gets to scrutinise them (gov.uk consultation page).

This ban did not come out of nowhere. The Guardian first reported on the government's plans for an under-16 energy drinks ban on 2 September 2025 (The Guardian). Some major UK retailers, including large supermarket chains, had already voluntarily stopped selling energy drinks to children under 16 years before the government stepped in (Reuters).

The broader context here is the government's wider effort to improve children's health through regulation. Tea and coffee are excluded from the ban, which draws a line between traditional caffeinated drinks and energy drinks, which often combine high caffeine with sugar and other stimulants in a single can. The 150mg-per-litre threshold means popular energy drinks sold in 500ml cans, many of which contain roughly 160mg of caffeine per litre or more, are squarely covered by the ban. The £2,500 fine is consistent with how other retail rules are enforced by local councils.

The nine-month gap between the announcement and the April 2027 start date gives shops, vending machine operators, and online sellers time to update their systems and age-checking processes. For big retailers already refusing to sell these drinks to children, the change will cost almost nothing. For smaller shops and online sellers, this period is the time to set up age checks before the rules take effect.

The ban also connects to the government's broader strategy on childhood obesity. By linking the ban to both caffeine intake and obesity, the government is tying together two health goals that have usually been handled separately. The consultation found strong support for an age restriction across businesses, health groups, and the public, suggesting the measure faced little pushback, unlike more debated policies such as sugar taxes or junk food advertising restrictions.