Labor is considering a ban on the sale of energy drinks to children

Labor is considering a ban on the sale of energy drinks to children if it wins power at the general election, it has been reported.

The proposal has been put forward for inclusion in the party manifesto Sky Newsas concerns grow about the health risks to young people from products with high caffeine content.

The ban is not currently Labor policy, a source told the Guardian, and the manifesto commitments will be unveiled closer to the election, expected to take place in the autumn.

A government survey shows that up to a third of British children drink at least one energy drink every week.

Particularly popular among young people, millions of people consume the products, which contain an average caffeine content of 150 mg per liter, as well as sugar, vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

They are linked to insomnia and poor quality sleep, according to a major study that suggests just one can a month increases the risk of disturbed sleep, but are marketed as mental health and physical performance boosters.

The study, which involved more than 53,000 people aged 18 to 35 in Norway, shed new light on possible negative effects earlier this year.

Researchers found that those who consumed them every day slept about half an hour less than those who drank them occasionally or not at all.

The higher the consumption frequency, the fewer hours of nighttime sleep. But even just once – one to three times a month – is linked to an increased risk of disturbed sleep, the researchers found. Their findings were published in the BMJ Open Journal.

Men who drank two or three drinks a week were 35% more likely to go to bed after midnight, 52% more likely to sleep less than six hours and 60% more likely to wake up during the night than those who did this rarely or never drunk.

Women were 20% more likely to go to bed after midnight, 58% more likely to sleep less than six hours, and 24% more likely to wake up during the night.

People who consumed the drinks daily generally had more trouble waking up after falling asleep, took longer to fall asleep and generally slept less than those who didn’t drink them.

Of women who drink energy drinks daily, 51% reported suffering from insomnia, compared to 33% of women who drank them occasionally or never. Among men, 37% of daily drinkers suffered from insomnia, compared with 22% of those who rarely or never drank.