Aldi Ireland has banned the sale of energy drinks to under 16s

A welcome move.

Today, Aldi Ireland announced a ban on the sale of energy drinks to under 16s with the new measure set to come into operation from March 1. This means that customers may be asked for identification to prove that they're permitted to buy said energy drinks with the new rule applauded by many. Energy drinks are particularly popular with teenagers but with such a high caffeine content, questions have been raised about how these drinks could negatively impact their health. Speaking about the decision, Group Buying Director at Aldi Ireland, Finbar McCarthy said:

"We are introducing this age restriction in response to growing concern about the consumption of energy drinks among young people."

Earlier this month, Waitrose, a UK-based supermarket chain, also banned energy drinks for under 16s. Speaking to BBC at the time, Waitrose's Simon Moore 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."

TV chef Jamie Olivier is also in support of this ban, tweeting about it previously.

Did you know that most energy drinks labels display a warning for children? #FridayNightFeast #NotForChildren

— Jamie Oliver (@jamieoliver) January 5, 2018

If you want to see the sale of energy drinks to under 16 year old restricted, tweet @Jeremy_Hunt telling him to put an age restrictions on the sale of energy drinks. Government should do what it says on the tin! https://t.co/msnj7HImeL #NotForChildren

— Jamie Oliver (@jamieoliver) January 5, 2018