Overview
- The government has set a caffeine threshold of more than 150 milligrams per litre for drinks covered by the proposal.
- The restriction would bar sales to under‑16s in shops, vending machines and online if Parliament approves the plan.
- Officials cited government data saying about 100,000 children in England drink these high‑caffeine products daily and linked them to sleep disruption, anxiety and concentration problems.
- Ministers must still set practical rules for age checks and online enforcement, a task likely to draw pushback from retailers and manufacturers over how to verify buyers.
- The measure is part of a wider youth‑protection package that also includes proposed limits on social‑media access for under‑16s and nightly locks for 16‑ and 17‑year‑olds.