Countdown's ban on children under 16 buying energy drinks came into force yesterday, and a public health researcher says the policy should be adopted New Zealand-wide.
The supermarket chain's ban on selling drinks like V, Lift plus or Mother to children was enacted yesterday, meaning if cashiers think a person is under 16, they'll need to see ID before allowing the sale.
The move has been criticised by the organisation representing the beverage industry - the New Zealand Beverage Council - which has called it a "solution without a problem".
However, speaking this morning to TVNZ 1's Breakfast, University of Auckland public health researcher Dr Sally Mackay said it was not just the caffeine which was unnecessary, but the sugar and other ingredients as well.
Dr Mackay also called for other supermarkets and retailers to enact similar bans.
"Countdown is a large supermarket, so that is restricting sales to a lot of people - but you can buy energy drinks from a lot of other outlets too," Ms Mackay said.
"In the UK they banned energy drink sales to children under 16, and we'd like to see the same thing here, to be really effective
"Do our children really need to drink energy drinks that are full of caffeine and other substances that we don't really know the long term effects of?"
Dr Mackay said the drinks also contained a number of other additives and substances, the effects of which, long term, had not yet been fully investigated.
Those included guarana, taurine and the added vitamins which were sometimes present in large quantities.
"And of course - sugar - the supermarket is full of it," Ms Mackay said.
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