In response to growing health concerns over their consumption, the UK government recently announced that the sale of energy drinks to anyone under the age of 16 will be banned in England.
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In situations like this, the government’s role is not to micromanage
Astonishing how some people can believe two contrary things before breakfast. Because of course the not to micromanage is followed by:
but to act as a filter between commercial interests and vulnerable populations, including children and adolescents. Parents and consumers rely on the state to sift through scientific evidence, assess safety and regulate products that may do harm. When that process works well, it protects public health and allows us all to have one less thing to think about when choosing what to eat and drink in stores. The decision to ban energy drinks for under-16s shows that governments – grounded in evidence, informed by the medical community and acting in the public interest – can legislate in a positive way for people’s health.
That is, government should, even must, micromanage.
<i>’…allows us all to have one less thing to think about…’</i>
Anyone else suspicious that government wants to encourage us to think less?
‘Bansturbation’. Excellent!
There’s actually more caffeine in a shot of espresso than a Red Bull. Prime is like a double espresso. But the ban doesn’t cover coffee, so expect kids to switch to that.
If they could make espresso taste like bubblegum…
I think you’ll find that making it taste caramel-chocolatey works just fine..
See those chilled “Ice Coffee” thingies on the shelves? Funny how popular they are with Youf….
That’s exactly how I describe them. Juicy-Fruti, wasn’t it? Seems to be popular with vodka, which explains a lot. For drinkers who never really grew up.
Fruit beers, ditto
“Parents and consumers rely on the state to sift through scientific evidence…”
Why? Is relying on the state preferable to examining the evidence for yourself? It was the state that told us all to avoid fat and to base our diet more heavily on carbohydrates. The main scientific study that this advice was based on turned out to be flawed. It is the state that still insists on using the deeply flawed BMI calculation, not only to assess the overall population but also at the individual level for which it was never intended. Oh and let’s not get started on the demonising of CO2, a completely harmless trace gas in the atmosphere which has supposedly been scientifically proven to be a pollutant.
Energy drinks are also very useful for insulin using diabetics because they sometimes require a fast sugar hit.
Parents and consumers rely on the state to sift through scientific evidence, assess safety, and insist on their taking vaccines that may do more harm than good.
Indeed. The same State of expertise driven legislature that has given us the optimal combination of laws against drugs and rules against jailing shoplifters. That State. Haiyah.
…grounded in evidence, informed by the medical community and acting in the public interest..
IOW, the same old technocracy.
Expecting parents to police kids’ intake of a psychoactive drug
She means caffeine. If you give your 15 year old a cup of tea, she’s accusing you of drugging children with a “psychoactive” drug.
Get with the programme, Steve!
Parents and consumers rely on the state to sift through scientific evidence, assess safety and regulate products that may do harm.
Ms. Sridhar has no children of her own, but that doesn’t stop her giving advice on how to raise children. Why is it always childless people who think parents want the state to take over our job?
God almighty, If I’d seen that apparition at the age of 3 or 4 I’d have had nightmares for weeks. Lord knows what I’d have grown up as.
Meet mme. Montessori….
Bugger me backwards with a red hot poker. This bint ran COVID policy in Scotland. I’d hazard she was responsible for as many deaths as the Aktion T4 Programme. Jesus Christ – that’s shocking. Like getting in Theodor Eicke to post on Hannukah.
You and I might not trust the state, but I’ve met lots of parents who trust the NHS. social services and so forth.
Not often after they’ve experienced them, WB…
– AI and a webcam is sufficient to “robustly verify” that I am over 18 and can access “harmful material” in line with the law
– AI and a webcam (that all the tills have now) is NOT sufficient to verify that I am over 16 and can purchase a Red Bull in line with the supermarkets company policy
They can’t even micromanage consistently.
In the same vein, nanny state, I occasionally buy a bottle of cheap plonk from the local supermarket. If I try to exit via the self service tills, I have to wait until the purchase is authorised by one of the young staff all of whom are part timers .working for pocket money after school and who are young enough to be my great grandchildren.
Try buying alcohol-free beer in a supermarket. You must be over 18 years old. To buy a drink without alcohol. Why? Apparently it’s considered a “gateway” drink.