Under-16s could be banned from buying energy drinks in Wales

Young people and experts say they support the Welsh government's plan to ban children under 16 from buying high-caffeine energy drinks.The Welsh government said that evidence suggests a link between "consumption of high-caffeine energy drinks and negative health outcomes", and is considering a ban on under 16s buying them.BBC Wales spoke to young people in Cardiff who said they supported the proposed ban, with one 17-year-old saying it was "really easy to start relying on them". The British Soft Drinks Association said the proposed ban was "unnecessary and not supported by robust evidence of overconsumption or harm".The news follows the ban in England where drinks like Red Bull, Monster, Relentless and Prime will be illegal to sell to under-16s from April, aimed at reducing obesity levels, disrupted sleep and anxiety. Any drink containing more than 150mg of caffeine per litre will be illegal to sell to children and younger teenagers in shops, restaurants, cafes, vending machines and online from next April in England. Lower-caffeine soft drinks, such Diet Coke, as well as tea and coffee are not affected. Excessive caffeine consumption has been linked to headaches and sleep problems, and experts say young people can be more sensitive to caffeine as they have smaller bodies and their brains are still developing.Some popular drinks brands contain more caffeine than two cups of coffee or four cans of cola.Vee, 17, from Cardiff, said she was happy about the proposed ban, while Sunny, 16, urged people to "just have a coffee" instead of an energy drink. In a written statement, Public and Preventative Health Minister Nerys Evans said the latest evidence suggested a link between consumption of high-caffeine energy drinks and negative health outcomes in children."This includes increased frequency of headaches, irritation, tiredness and stomach aches, reduced sleep duration and quality and increased risk of stress, anxiety and depression," she said."The previous Welsh government consulted and gathered evidence on proposals to restrict the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16, with broad support for action."Evans added: "Having considered the evidence and responses to that earlier consultation, the current Welsh government intends to take forward proposals to prohibit the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16, subject to the outcome of this consultation. "These are drinks, other than tea or coffee, that contain over 150mg of caffeine per litre."The Welsh government said the consultation would seek views on the proposed "enforcement framework", including "online age-verification arrangements, assessing compliance activity, sanctions, implementation timescales and monitoring arrangements".British Soft Drinks Association said its members have not marketed or promoted the sale of energy drinks to under-16s since 2010. "All high-caffeine beverages carry a 'not recommended for children' label. The available evidence shows that the vast majority of caffeine consumed by children and adolescents comes from sources other than energy drinks."