Oliver backs energy drinks move
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has thrown his weight behind a village campaign to ban the sale of energy drinks to under 16s.
St Martins has become the first village in the county to go energy drink free for under 16s, after Stans Superstore and St Martins Garage both agreed to refuse to sell the drink to schoolchildren.
Now Jamie Oliver, who has long campaigned for youngsters to eat better, has endorsed the move, and has called for it to be taken in front of the health secretary Jeremy Hunt.
He took to Twitter to back the campaign, launched by Keith Allum, who helps to run a youth club in the village.
He said: "We are watching your wonderful story from Food Rev HQ! What a brilliant initiative.
"We agree with you and our sights are now set on the independent retailers.
"We need @Jeremy_Hunt to play his part in this part of the story! #notforchildren."
The campaign was first muted in the village a year ago, when Mr Allum banned the consumption of the drinks at the youth club, which runs at the St Martins Centre.
St Martins School is also on board with the campaign, and headteacher Sue Lovecy has praised Mr Allum for starting the ban.
She added: “I am so pleased that Keith has managed to get this ban on sales of energy drinks to under 16s in St Martins.
“As a school we banned these drinks several years ago but students were picking them up en route to school and drinking them for breakfast.
“These drinks pose a serious threat to our children’s health.
“Well done Keith and all the local businesses supporting this initiative.”
Stans and the petrol station both agreed to ban the sale of them, with under 16s not having to go out of the village to get their energy drinks.
But with other retailers soon to ban the product, it will be almost impossible to purchase them until you reach 16.
Mr Allum added he was pleased to be leading the way.
He added: “I think if we can get one child to do it we can get them all to do it.
“We’ve all been working together putting this in place.
“We banned energy drinks here at the youth centre before Christmas and since we’ve banned them we’ve noticed a big difference in their behaviour.
“If we can educate the kids not to drink it then they’ve got a better chance of not buying it when they’re older.”
