Kids Under 16 Barred From Buying Energy Drinks In U.K.

While this may not be the news making the boldest headlines in the U.K. right now—that would be this story of an asshole seagull making off with a girl's chihuahua—the U.K.'s new energy-drink law is no small deal. In one of her final acts as Prime Minister, Theresa May signed an eleventh-hour law that would ban the sale of highly caffeinated energy drinks to children under 16, reports U.K. paper Mirror.

May had to sign the legislation at the last minute before new Prime Minister Boris Johnson could take office; he's railed against Britain's "nanny state" and was guaranteed not to agree with this ban. Beverage Daily adds that some U.K. retailers—including major supermarkets Tesco, Aldi, Waitrose, and others—already prohibit the sale of such drinks to children, but that it was not a legal requirement. It quotes government documents noting that more than two-thirds of 10-17 year-olds and a quarter of 6-9 year-olds (!) in the U.K. consume energy drinks.

Opponents of the legislation says there's no evidence these drinks harm children's health, and that the ban would negatively impact businesses. For its part, the World Health Organization calls energy drink consumption among kids "cause for concern."