Many adults rely on the added jolt of caffeine to get them through the day. But that’s the last thing kids need, according to the governments of England and South Korea.

England’s government is preparing to ban the sale of energy drinks like Red Bull to children amid growing concerns about the negative health impacts of the high-caffeine, high-sugar drinks.

The proposed ban only applies to England, but Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can all follow suit if their administrations wish. In March, several major supermarket chains announced that they would ban the sale of energy drinks to children under 16.

The principal justification for the ban is the high level of caffeine in the energy drinks, which has been linked to a string of health problems for children, including head and stomach aches, as well as hyperactivity and sleep problems.

A 250ml can of Red Bull contains about 80mg of caffeine, roughly the same as a similarly sized cup of coffee, but three times the level of Coca-Cola. Monster Energy, which is often sold in larger cans of 500ml, contains 160mg of caffeine.

Energy drinks often have higher levels of sugar than soft drinks. According to government figures, sugared energy drinks have 60 percent more calories and 65 percent more sugar than normal soft drinks and sugar is one of the largest causes of obesity.

The teachers’ union NASUWT called last year for the sale of the drinks to under-16s to be banned by all retailers. Its national official for education, Darren Northcott, described the beverages as “legal highs” that helped to fuel bad behavior in schools.

Meanwhile, South Korea announced plans to ban the sale of coffee in schools by Sept. 14.

Korean authorities justified the ban by citing reports of children experiencing dizziness, heart palpitations, trouble sleeping and nervousness after consuming caffeine.

In both England and South Korea, the bans are part of a wider campaign to encourage healthier eating habits, especially among children. South Korean officials have implemented a strategy to deal with rising obesity rates among students, including imposing restrictions on children’s access to energy drinks.

Words to Learn 相关词汇

【饮料】yǐnliào beverage any of various liquids for drinking

【心悸】xīnjì palpitation the feeling that your heart is beating too quickly or not regularly

很多成年人依赖咖啡因熬过一整天，但英格兰和韩国政府认为，孩子们根本不需要这些。

英格兰政府将禁止向儿童出售红牛等能量饮料。越来越多的人担心高咖啡因和高糖饮料会损害儿童健康。

该禁令仅在英格兰地区适用，苏格兰、威尔士以及北爱尔兰地区的政府如果愿意，也可推行。今年3月，英国几家大型连锁超市宣布禁止旗下超市向16岁以下青少年出售能量饮料。

这一禁令的主要理由是能量饮料中咖啡因含量高，与儿童的一系列健康问题有关，包括头痛和胃痛，以及多动症和睡眠问题。

一罐250毫升的红牛含有大约80毫克的咖啡因，大约相当于一杯同样大小的咖啡，是可口可乐咖啡因含量的三倍。怪物能量通常以500毫升的大罐出售，含有160毫克的咖啡因。

能量饮料的含糖量通常也比软饮高。根据英国政府的数据，含糖的能量饮料比普通的软饮料卡路里和糖分含量分别高出60%和65%，而糖是导致肥胖的最主要原因之一。

去年，英国女教师工会呼吁所有零售商禁止向16岁以下的未成年人出售此类饮料，该机构的教育负责人达伦•诺斯科特称这些饮料是“合法的兴奋剂”，助长了学校的不良行为。

另外，韩国也已宣布，将于9月14日起禁止在学校销售咖啡。韩国官方还援引报道称，儿童在摄入咖啡因后会出现头晕、心悸、失眠和紧张，以显示这一禁令的正当性。

在英格兰和韩国，禁令也是在更大范围鼓励健康饮食习惯的举措之一，特别是针对儿童。韩国已采取措施应对学生肥胖率上升的问题，其中包括限制儿童饮用能量饮料。 (Chinadaily.com.cn)