26 replies to this topic

[Flash Flood]

I've done a bit of research into this subject, but I can't find anything concrete, so I figured the best way to find out for certain is to ask somebody who works in the law side of things.

I work in retail, and recently (within the past two days) a new warning has appeared on our tills whenever an energy drink is scanned, requesting an ID check to ensure the customer is the correct age to purchase (in this case it specifies they must be older than today's date 1999). We have had some strange occurrances with the ID system before (such as sticky plasters requiring the customer to be 16 or older) so I'm unsure. Is there any legislation prohibiting the sale of energy drinks to under-13s, or is it just one of those store discretion kind of things?

Probably a stupid question, but the more you know, right?

[oddbod]

No legislation as far as I'm aware, just good practice. Energy drinks have had some bad press recently where children are concerned.

[Flash Flood]

Indeed. There is a woman who insists we refuse to sell her primary school-aged child energy drinks. Unfortunately, since she never brings him with her, we have no idea which child it is. And to be honest, with energy drinks as high as £1.95 a can, it's bad business to refuse everyone on the principle of "it could be you".

In truth I wouldn't mind there being some form of age restriction on them. Despite the warnings on the cans/bottles ("Not suitable for pregnant women or children") they tend to be one of the biggest customer bases for the product. And as someone who has suffered health issues from ingesting too much of the caffeine devils (As a 23-year-old 6'4" male) it does make me wonder how some of them can do it.

[Jordan694]

I don't know which retailer you work for but I know from my experience with Sainsburys that age restriction flags can be manually added to products at store level which could indicate customer complaints to the store that the store manager wishes to appease.

[jvt1]

I drink enough energy drinks to know that that much sugar and caffeine can't be that healthy for kids let alone of primary age.

[IndiaTango]

I've done a bit of research into this subject, but I can't find anything concrete, so I figured the best way to find out for certain is to ask somebody who works in the law side of things.

I work in retail, and recently (within the past two days) a new warning has appeared on our tills whenever an energy drink is scanned, requesting an ID check to ensure the customer is the correct age to purchase (in this case it specifies they must be older than today's date 1999). We have had some strange occurrances with the ID system before (such as sticky plasters requiring the customer to be 16 or older) so I'm unsure. Is there any legislation prohibiting the sale of energy drinks to under-13s, or is it just one of those store discretion kind of things?

Probably a stupid question, but the more you know, right?

I'm not sure if I'm making this up, but do you not have the right to refuse to sell anything? Obviously you can't stop someone else selling them inside the store, but if you object to selling them to children then can you refuse?

[carty23]

As part of the management team at my store, we decided to stop selling energy drinks to anyone under 16. As Jordan said, we put a challenge promp on the checkouts at store level from our office computer. The PCSO who walks the beat of my high street told us they were having a lot of anti-social behaviour and every time they had a big 1L bottle of the cheap stuff. The only thing is because of the area I work in it means kids just shoplift it instead of attempting to pay for it. The only thing is is proving they're over 16 but because it isn't law it isn't much of an issue. it's mainly people of primary school age who like to spend about £2 on the stuff (the cheapest we sell is 20p a can for the nasty stuff).

[carty23]

I'm not sure if I'm making this up, but do you not have the right to refuse to sell anything? Obviously you can't stop someone else selling them inside the store, but if you object to selling them to children then can you refuse?

Yes

[GreenGerkin]

I know at Smiths we used to have a prompt to not sell to under 13s, although I can't remember if that is still on the tills as I haven't sold any for such a long time.
I don't understand the appeal of energy drinks, just messes with my ability to think clearly, almost as bad as alcohol, would much rather have a cuppa a couple of times a day

[Shikari]

I once went to a store where you had to be 16 and over and have id (if you were roughly 16 obviously) to buy energy drinks. I wasn't a fan of it at the time mainly because I had forgotten my id. In hindsight, as a student who believes a can of Monster is a viable alterative to solid food, a common sense approach should be introduced to selling energy drinks, especially to children under 16. Obviously they're harmful in large doses, and that's to adults, so how children's bodies are expected to metabolise the amounts some drink is beyond me.

Having said that, i'd rather a 'gang' on 13 year olds were sitting around drinking litre bottles of cheap energy drinks than litre bottles of vodka or special brew.

[Jeebs]

I went to a job last time I worked a day shift, some woman's 6 year old had been punched by a 9 year old in a play ground, I must say thrilling job......not!

Basically, the mum of the kid that got punched put it down to energy drinks and would not shut up about the bloody things. She didn't want anything done about the punch (not that we were planning on progressing anything) and spent the whole time banging on about how we should go and confiscate energy drinks, she got properly worked up about them. She basically put all wrong doing by local kids down to energy drinks, rather than the cannabis and alcohol the older ones smoke and drink.

Clearly some parents think there's a problem with them, so I don't see why they shouldn't be age controlled. The chemicals and sugars in them are probably worse for you than a fair few beers!

[SkinSte]

Donuts have sugar in them too, can we put an age restriction in place for them? It will also help tackle child obesity.

That's got to be a better solution than, say, better parenting.

[MerseyLLB]

The only reason I attended school (more often than not) when I was 15/16 was with the aid of a lucozade orange each morning.

I had an awful attendance record, but energy drinks helped me turn 'human' again each morning.

[ActivistApp]

Mersey - why did you stop .......?

[mph]

^{Might be slightly off topic but someone was prosecuted for driving while unfit through drink or drugs because of energy drinks, apparently it impared their driving}

[P3DRO]

How could you prove that? "sorry m'lord, i was under the influence of sugar and taurine, thats why my focus was peaked"

[ococircusboy]

No legislation. Just a not recommended for under 16's message on the can.

[Rocket]

A strong cup of coffee with 3 spoons of sugar - offences?

[MikeBrum]

A strong cup of coffee with 3 spoons of sugar - offences?

When an ADHD sufferer drinks it?

[callsign-kid]

This is not an age controlled product. However there is no reason a shop may not have a policy stating that they will not sell a product to a person under a set age. They can refuse to sell any item to any person for nearly any reason.

[Chewie]

The only reason I attended school (more often than not) when I was 15/16 was with the aid of a lucozade orange each morning.

Mersey - why did you stop .......?

They throw you out once you get to a certain age, AA...

[mph]

How could you prove that? "sorry m'lord, i was under the influence of sugar and taurine, thats why my focus was peaked"

I've no idea, one of the traffic lads showed me it

[jonijaws]

Yes

I believed that the time you can refuse a sale is if you believe that the product being bought is not for them (alcohol being bought for someone underage), they cant produce photo ID when requested or you believe there intentions for the product are to injure themselves or someone else (if you over heard them talking about hitting someone with a baseball bat they want to buy.

Thats what i believe to be true but im not 100% sure of the full discription of refusing a sale.

[Burnsy2023]

I believed that the time you can refuse a sale is if you believe that the product being bought is not for them (alcohol being bought for someone underage), they cant produce photo ID when requested or you believe there intentions for the product are to injure themselves or someone else (if you over heard them talking about hitting someone with a baseball bat they want to buy.

Thats what i believe to be true but im not 100% sure of the full discription of refusing a sale.

Do you don't need any reason for declining a sale. If you just feel like you don't want to serve them, that's enough, you don't need to defend your decision.

[owenred]

I got ID in uniform for a can of a well know energy drink, didn't have my driving licence on me and wasn't allowed to buy it :/