There are calls for more retailers to ban the sale of energy drinks to under 16-year-olds, as the Government resists making it compulsory.
It comes as a major supermarket chain rolled out age-restriction on energy drinks today, meaning young people will need to show ID at any of Countdown's 180 stores across the country.
Nelson Marlborough public health advocate Dr Rob Beaglehole applauds the decision and hopes it raises awareness of “the dangers of energy drinks”.
“All we really need to do is take a look on the back of these products and it says, ‘not recommended for children, pregnant women or breast feeding women’ and that clearly highlights that these products are not suitable for children,” he says.
The dentist says he’s constantly pulling out rotting teeth. He showed 1 NEWS one example of ten teeth that he’d taken out from a youth who was drinking “three or four Vs a day for four or five months”.
Nelson 19-year-old Rohan O'Neill-Stevens says he and his friends first tried energy drinks when he was just nine.
“I’ve got a distinct memory of camping at school for a class event in Year 5 and we naturally went and bought a whole lot of energy drinks along with all sorts of sugar that we could get to live that night up."
But as he got older he says the “coolness factor” wore off and he opted for other beverage choices.
“I think anything that is pausing people before they're consuming these drinks is a good step to take."
Dr Beaglehole wants to see the Government put regulations in place to ensure there is “an even playing field right across the retail sector”.
But Health Minister David Clark says he wants to first work with industry on voluntary measures to support the health of New Zealanders.
He hopes other companies follow Countdown's example, but many won’t be.
Foodstuffs, the company that owns Pak'nSave and New World, stands with the Beverage Council, which says age restrictions for energy drinks are unnecessary and a heavy-handed response to a problem that doesn't exist.
They're concerned it could make energy drinks more desirable to teens, wanting what they can't have.
A spokesperson for the Beverage Council says their members have already committed “to not market energy drinks to children, not sell them in schools and not promote excessive consumption”.
Countdown says it's already seeing a positive response from customers, including teenagers having their ID ready when they shop.
“Those that are under 16 have made other choices and are purchasing things like water and other drinks which is fantastic,” says operations group manager Braden Crossan.
The restrictions apply to 74 beverages but not sports drinks, though Countdown isn't ruling that out in the future.
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