Call for ban on sale of high energy drinks to under-16s

Claire Stevens, President of the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry (BSPD), said the drinks were damaging to dental health and should not have a place in the diet of children and young people.

She said: 'They are doubly bad for teeth because these drinks have high levels of sugar and they are acidic. This means they can cause both dental decay and erosion, or acid-wear, of teeth.'

Claire said she was delighted to learn that Waitrose had decided to refuse to sell the drinks to young people aged 16 or under from March 5th.

'The step taken by Waitrose is a bold and responsible one,' said Claire. 'But we would like all retailers to come on board and ideally to have legislation introduced to prevent all shopkeepers selling these drinks to under-16s.'