Dentists Petition for Energy Drink Sales Ban to Children. How can we help?

Why UK Dentists Are Backing a Sales Ban on Energy Drinks for Children

British Dental Association has launched a vital petition calling for restrictions on energy drink sales to children under 16. With tooth decay linked to type-2 diabetes and preventable diseases costing the NHS billions, voluntary industry action has failed.

Dentists across the UK are united in their call for legislative intervention to protect children's health, development, and long-term wellbeing from the documented harms of high-caffeine, high-sugar energy drinks, a subject we have written about before in our dentistry articles.

With Dr. Andrew Nesbitt – a respected private dentist in Lichfield

Parents often tell me the challenge isn’t nutrition, it’s persuasion. A simple recipe helps because it feels like a treat and delivers a burst of natural sweetness without the sugar spike. This carrot and fruit ice smoothie blends vibrant colour with gentle sweetness, and children enjoy the slush texture straight from the freezer.

Healthy Swap: Carrot & Fruit Ice Smoothies Children Love

Carrot & Fruit Ice Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients

• One medium carrot, peeled and sliced

• Half a banana for natural sweetness

• A handful of frozen mango or pineapple chunks

• A small glass of orange juice or pressed apple juice

• A squeeze of lemon for balance

• A few ice cubes for texture

Method

Slice the carrot into small pieces so it blends smoothly. Add the banana, mango or pineapple, and a splash of juice to your blender. Drop in the lemon and the ice cubes. Blend until the mixture turns silky and bright. Pour into small freezer-safe cups and freeze for an hour until semi-solid.

Serving tip

The texture becomes a soft, colourful ice treat that feels exciting yet stays naturally sweet. Parents appreciate the way this recipe supports energy levels without relying on refined sugar. Children love the vibrant colour and chilled texture, meaning the swap feels joyful rather than restrictive.

The key legislative changes, effective 1 January 2028, are:

• Lowered Sugar Threshold: The levy will now apply to drinks with sugar content of 4.5g per 100ml, down from the previous 5g threshold.
• Scrapping the Milk Exemption: The existing exemption for **bottled milkshakes, flavoured milk, and milk substitute drinks** is being removed.

These adjustments are projected to raise an extra **£40–45m** for the government's coffers, funds often earmarked for public health and s

The financial burden may ultimately be absorbed by the consumer through raised prices, or by the company via reduced margins. Either way, the SDIL continues to function as a powerful economic lever against high sugar content.

Many energy drink cans contain more sugar than a child's entire daily recommended limit, creating an immediate risk to dental health. The concentrated sugar feeds harmful bacteria in the mouth, accelerating cavity formation and enamel breakdown. Parents and teachers often underestimate just how much sugar is hidden in a single can. The cumulative effect of daily or even occasional use is dramatic, leading to cavities that require fillings, extractions, and long-term monitoring. 

This is one of the most visible and painful consequences for children, and it is entirely preventable, if you feel your children would benefit from expert oral care, speak to our friendly reception team, or send a message online.

Erosion from acidity damages teeth permanently. Energy drinks are highly acidic, with pH levels that wear down tooth enamel over time. 

This erosion is irreversible and leaves children vulnerable to sensitivity, decay, and costly dental interventions throughout their lives. Dentists regularly see children presenting with enamel loss in their teenage years, an age when the enamel should be at its strongest. When acid wears away protective layers, teeth become prone to breakage and decay. Rebuilding this damage requires invasive treatments such as crowns or veneers in early adulthood, creating financial and emotional burdens that could have been avoided with early action.

Dental treatment burden overwhelms NHS resources. Tooth extractions under general anaesthetic remain one of the most common hospital admissions for children across the UK, with energy drink consumption contributing significantly to this preventable healthcare demand. Entire hospital wards are dedicated to treating dental issues that could have been avoided, stretching resources away from critical care areas such as cancer treatment or emergency medicine. Each preventable extraction under anaesthetic carries risks and costs that the NHS cannot sustain indefinitely. This is one of the clearest examples of how individual consumption choices, driven by marketing, impact national health budgets and priorities.

Excess caffeine harms child development

Children's bodies process stimulants differently than adults, increasing their risk of headaches, heart palpitations, anxiety, and severe sleep disruption. These effects can impact school performance and emotional regulation. The lack of restorative sleep has knock-on effects for concentration, mood, and growth. Over time, caffeine disrupts natural sleep cycles so significantly that it can affect hormonal development. Teachers frequently report behaviour changes linked to energy drink use, with students struggling to stay calm, focus on lessons, or engage socially with peers.

Addiction risk increases with early exposure. Regular consumption of high-caffeine drinks during childhood can establish dependency patterns that persist into adulthood, creating long-term health and behavioural challenges. The combination of caffeine and sugar is especially powerful because it triggers short bursts of euphoria followed by crashes, encouraging repeated consumption. Children learn to rely on this cycle, and breaking it in adulthood can be as difficult as breaking any other dependency. The brain becomes accustomed to stimulation, which means other healthy habits such as exercise or balanced meals no longer feel satisfying.

Masking tiredness prevents healthy habits. Children may skip necessary rest, proper nutrition, or healthy coping strategies in favour of caffeine-driven energy boosts, disrupting natural development patterns and creating unsustainable lifestyle habits. Rather than learning the importance of sleep hygiene or good diet, children begin to view quick fixes as acceptable solutions. This delays the development of resilience and long-term wellbeing. Left unchecked, the reliance on artificial energy sources often carries into adult life, where stress and fatigue are managed through more stimulants rather than healthier alternatives.

Obesity links create compound health risks. The high sugar content in energy drinks contributes significantly to childhood weight gain, increasing the risk of type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other serious long-term health complications.

Behavioural issues disrupt education and social development. Caffeine and sugar spikes frequently lead to hyperactivity, irritability, and concentration problems in school environments, affecting academic performance and peer relationships.

Hidden alcohol pairing risks endanger teenagers

Adolescents often mix energy drinks with alcohol, masking the signs of intoxication and dramatically increasing the danger of alcohol poisoning, risky behaviour, and serious accidents.

Undermining healthy hydration establishes poor lifelong habits. Choosing energy drinks over water during formative years encourages dependence on artificial stimulants and sweeteners, reducing the likelihood of maintaining healthy hydration patterns in adulthood.

Oral health inequalities widen social gaps. Children in deprived areas already face disproportionately higher levels of tooth decay and limited access to dental care. Energy drink consumption exacerbates these existing inequalities, creating deeper health divides. This becomes a cycle where poor nutrition, inadequate dental care, and overexposure to harmful products create a legacy of poor health outcomes that extend into later life. Communities already struggling with access to dentists are the ones most impacted, which makes the need for regulation not only a health issue but also a question of fairness and equity.

Public health costs strain NHS services unnecessarily. Long-term dental, cardiovascular, and metabolic health issues directly linked to childhood energy drink consumption place enormous financial strain on already stretched NHS services, diverting resources from other critical healthcare needs.

The BDA Petition

The evidence is clear: energy drinks pose serious risks to children's immediate and long-term health. Voluntary industry action has failed to protect our children from products that fuel preventable diseases and cost the NHS billions annually. By supporting the British Dental Association's petition for sales restrictions, you're backing evidence-based policy that prioritises child welfare over commercial interests. View the petition today and learn to create a healthier future for the next generation.