A Newcastle City Council campaign asking retailers to voluntarily ban energy drink sales to under- 16s has been criticised for “lacking impact”.

It is the first council in the UK to put forward the Government-proposed ban in letters and posters, which were sent to retailers this month. 

However, Graeme Pentland, of Ashburton News, criticised the material for failing to address the issue properly.

He told RN: “The poster looks tacky and not professionally done. I’m not sure the campaign is going to work.”

Jel Nagra, who also runs a store in the area, added: “If it looked more official, it would have an impact. We’ve had our own discretionary ban over the past seven years and we’ve found adding a personal touch, such as having a laugh with our customers, is much more effective.”

A government consultation on banning energy drinks with more than 150mg of caffeine per litre to children closes on 21 November.

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