Waitrose bans under 16s from buying energy drinks after teachers warn they fuel classroom disruption
The posh supermarket will stop kids from buying the popular drinks from March
WAITROSE has banned kids from buying high-caffeine energy drinks.
The supermarket has taken the decision to stop under-16s from purchasing cans of the popular drinks after teachers warned that they were fuelling disruptive behaviour in the classroom.
The ban will come into affect on March 5, with customers buying drinks with more than 150mg of caffeine per litre asked to prove they're over 16.
Current guidelines require any soft drink with that level of caffeine in them to be labelled with a warning and state that it's not suitable for children.
But Waitrose is the first supermarket to announce a ban of their sale to under 16s.
Simon Moore, director of technical and corporate social responsibility, said: "As a responsible retailer we want to sell these products in line with the labelling guidance.
"These drinks carry advice stating that they are not recommended for children, so we’re choosing to proactively act on that guidance, particularly given the widespread concerns which have been raised about these drinks when consumed by under 16s."
Drinks like Red Bull, Relentless, Monster Energy and Rockstar have become increasingly popular in recent years.
Sales of the drinks in the UK increased by 185 per cent between 2006 and 2015, with the industry now worth more than £2billion.
But a single 500ml can contain as much as 160mg of caffeine, which is the same as two shots of espresso, sparking health fears.
Last month leading teachers' union NASUWT called for the sale of the drinks to be banned for under-16s due to the high amount of sugar and caffeine in them.
Darren Northcott, of the union, described the drinks as "legal highs" which are partly responsible for the bad behaviour in classrooms across the country.
He warned: "Teachers have registered concerns about the contribution of high energy drinks to poor pupil behaviour as a result of pupils consuming excessive quantities of these drinks.
"They are popular among young people who often think they are just another soft drink, and young people and parents are often not aware of the very high levels of stimulants that these drinks contain.
"They are readily available legal highs sold in vending machines, supermarkets and corner shops."
While Waitrose is the first supermarket to introduce the ban, it's not the first shop to do so.
In October, newsagent boss Rajendra Parekh banned the sale of energy drinks to under-18s.
He described the drinks as "one of the worst things to have happened in this country" and are "worse than smoking, wacky backy and alcohol."
Where have energy drinks been banned?
Energy drinks are sold around the world. But some countries have tried to control their selling to children.
France, Denmark, Norway - Red Bull was banned from sale for 12 years until 2008 due to concerns about its impact on peoples' health
Lithuania - In 2014, the country banned the selling of all energy drinks to anyone under the age of 18
Germany - In 2009, six German states ordered shops to stop selling Red Bull Cola after traces of cocaine were found in it
Hungary - The country introduced a new tax on unhealthy food and drinks including energy drinks
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