Industry News


How The AVA Is Responding To The


Government’s Ban On Energy Drink Sales By David Llewellyn, Chief Executive, AVA: The Vending & Automated Retail Association.


The government has recently confirmed it is moving forward with the ban on the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks through vending machines. At the AVA, we’ve been working hard to ensure that the voice of the vending sector is heard clearly in Westminster and that any policy decisions made are grounded in evidence, proportionality and a genuine understanding of how our industry already operates.


Let’s be clear: the AVA does not oppose protecting young people.


If there were robust evidence that


energy drinks were causing measurable harm to under-16s, or that they were being widely accessed by that age group through vending, we would support targeted and effective action. But the evidence simply isn’t there. Remarkably, the government’s own consultation response acknowledges that the evidence linking energy drinks to the harms cited is “not definitive” and does not establish causation, yet it has proceeded with a blanket ban regardless.


Some 82% of the UK’s 460,000 vending machines are in closed environments: offices, warehouses, back-of-house and other workplaces where under-16-year-olds don’t have access. The remaining 18%, in


publicly accessible locations, are already


covered by a voluntary code of practice, upheld by AVA members, that restricts the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks, meaning the relevant safeguards have already been in place for vending. No evidence has been presented to show that vending machines, particularly those in adult-only locations, are a significant source of underage purchases.


The financial consequences are not trivial. The ban is estimated to cost the vending industry an estimated £43 million annually, a significant commercial hit for a sector made up largely of small and medium-sized businesses. Our members keep people fed and fuelled at all hours, in environments where traditional retail is simply not available. That contribution deserves recognition, not disproportionate regulatory burden.


42 fmuk David Llewellyn


This is why the AVA has been increasing its engagement with Parliament. We recently hosted an event at the House of Lords, bringing together MPs and representatives from the vending industry for what we believe was a genuinely productive and long-overdue conversation. Many of the MPs we met had little previous visibility of our sector, despite AVA members operating in their own constituencies, running small family businesses and supporting thousands of


jobs. Our industry accounts for £3.78 billion in


annual turnover and employs more


19,500 people directly. It is time that contribution was properly understood at Westminster.


The event gave us the opportunity to outline the real-world impact of the proposed en-ergy drink ban, alongside other significant legislative challenges, including the Deposit Return Scheme and Extended Producer Responsibility regulations. The response from MPs was engaged and constructive.


This is not the end of our efforts. We will continue to push back on this decision, engage with parliamentarians and make the case that policy on energy drinks must be targeted, proportionate and reflective of the responsible practices our members already follow. We are calling on the government to reconsider its position and work with the industry on measures that genuinely protect children without imposing disproportionate costs on businesses or removing consumer choice for adults.


The AVA stands ready to work constructively with government on solutions that genuinely protect young people. What we cannot accept is policy that sacrifices a responsible and economically vital industry on the altar of perception rather than proof.


For more information, visit: www.the-ava.com


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