Student sample for assessment
Written by a Year 9 student in Ivanhoe, Victoria, Australia.
I submit that Australia should not restrict high-caffeine energy drinks to adults, but should instead require clear labelling and age-appropriate marketing, combined with stronger education about caffeine effects. Energy drink consumption among adolescents does raise legitimate health concerns. The caffeine and sugar content in some drinks far exceeds what health experts recommend for young people. Regular consumption can disrupt sleep, increase anxiety, and in rare cases, contribute to cardiac issues. These concerns are real. But restriction is the wrong response because it creates more problems than it solves. Enforcement of an age restriction would be extremely difficult. Corner stores, online retailers, and informal markets would continue supplying underage users. An age restriction creates black markets without actually protecting health. Countries that have attempted similar restrictions often find teenagers obtaining products through workarounds. Resources spent on enforcement would be better spent on education. Moreover, an age restriction is inconsistent with how we regulate other risk products. Coffee contains similar or higher caffeine levels but is unrestricted. Sugary soft drinks pose comparable health risks but are unrestricted. Why restrict energy drinks specifically? If the concern is caffeine, we should address all caffeinated beverages consistently, not single out one category. If the concern is sugar, we should address that across all sugary products. Inconsistent regulation creates legal and fairness problems. The practical alternative is more effective. Clear labelling—stating exactly how many milligrams of caffeine are in each serve, equivalent to cups of coffee, and maximum recommended intake for adolescents—gives consumers actual information. Most adolescents can handle moderate caffeine; what they need is information to make choices. Age-appropriate marketing restrictions (not selling to under-18s through youth-targeted channels) address the concern about targeting young people without creating a black market. Education is crucial. Schools should teach adolescents about caffeine effects: sleep disruption, anxiety, dependency. This addresses the actual problem—uninformed use—rather than assuming restriction is the only tool. Young people deserve to understand risks, not to be protected from choice through prohibition. If the committee decides restrictions are necessary, they should be implemented consistently across all high-caffeine products, not just energy drinks. But education, labelling, and marketing restrictions are more effective, fairer, and enforceable solutions.