HOME Bargains will soon ban the sale of energy drinks to anyone under the age of 16 across its 600 shops.
The retailer is clamping down on drinks like Red Bull and Monster Energy, which contain high levels of caffeine, The Sun can reveal.
The new rule means energy drinks with at least 150mg of caffeine per litre – including many best-sellers – will be off-limits to younger shoppers.
For example, a 250ml can of Red Bull contains 80mg of caffeine, adding up to 320mg per litre.
Monster Energy contains the same amount.
Adults over 16 may be asked to show ID when buying these drinks in-store to prove their age.
A spokesperson for Home Bargains told The Sun: “We are committed to play our part in protecting the people within those communities from harm associated with both the misuse of age restricted products, and those which although not age-restricted, carry a risk of misuse.
“At present there is no legal age-restriction for the sale of energy drinks, and we don’t currently operate a policy around this.
“However, we have been reviewing this approach recently and would like to share our decision to apply an age restriction of 16 year for high-caffeine energy drinks that contain at least 150mg of caffeine per litre of drink.
“We will adopt this approach in the coming weeks, once we have our IT solutions in place.
“We believe this is the right approach to adopt as a responsible retailer, to best play our part in achieving the balance between controlling the risk of misuse whilst appropriately serving our community.”
Home Bargains joins other major supermarkets in putting this rule in place.
Tesco, Morrisons, Asda, Aldi, Lidl, Co-op and Waitrose banned sales of energy drinks to under-16s back in 2018, even though there’s no legal restriction yet.
The previous Conservative government had planned to introduced the ban, but scrapped the move in 2022.
However, the Labour Government is preparing to introduce a law in England stopping anyone under the age of 16 from buying energy drinks in shops, cafes and online.
Around 100,000 children consume at least one high caffeine energy drink every day.
Many energy drinks contain more caffeine than two cups of coffee, and too much can cause headaches, sleep problems, a fast heart rate and, in rare cases, seizures and even death.
Many energy drinks also contain other potentially harmful ingredients like sugar, sweeteners and e-numbers.
Experts warn that children are especially vulnerable due to their smaller bodies and developing brains, making them more sensitive to caffeine.
For most adults, up to 400mg a day – the amount in four cups of coffee – is considered safe.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said in September: “How can we expect children to do well at school if they have the equivalent of four cans of cola in their system on a daily basis?
“Energy drinks might seem harmless, but the sleep, concentration and wellbeing of today’s kids are all being impacted, while high sugar versions damage their teeth and contribute to obesity.
“As part of our Plan for Change and shift from treatment to prevention, we’re acting on the concerns of parents and teachers and tackling the root causes of poor health and educational attainment head on.
“By preventing shops from selling these drinks to kids, we’re helping build the foundations for healthier and happier generations to come.”
The government is in the middle of running a consultation on the scope of the proposed ban, which will remain open until November 26.
