Sept. 3 (UPI) — Children younger than 16 in England will no longer be able to legally buy high-caffeine energy drinks under a proposal announced by the British government Tuesday.

The proposed ban would apply to drinks sold in shops, restaurants, cafes and vending machines, according to an announcement from the Labour-led government. If enacted, England would join other European countries with restrictions on the drinks that have been blamed for childhood obesity, poor sleep and behavioral issues in classrooms.

“How can we expect children to do well at school if they have the equivalent of four cans of cola in their system on a daily basis?” Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said in a statement. “Energy drinks might seem harmless, but the sleep, concentration and wellbeing of today’s kids are all being impacted, while high sugar versions damage their teeth and contribute to obesity.”

While most supermarkets voluntarily stopped selling energy drinks to children under 16, they can still easily be obtained in smaller shops and up to a third of British children consume them weekly, reported the Mirror.

The ban would not apply to drinks containing less than 150 milligrams of caffeine per liter, leaving out lower-caffeine soft drinks, as well as coffee and tea. That means that cans of Red Bull, Monster and Prime Energy would be banned, the paper reported.

Countries including Lithuania, Latvia, Turkey and Sweden already have similar restrictions in place. State lawmakers in the United States have sought to ban the drinks.

Previously, the Conservative-led government considered a ban but did not follow through on it. Last year, a review of previous research on how the drinks affect young people published in the journal Public Health linked them to anxiety, stress and even suicidality.

“High-caffeine energy drinks have no place in children’s hands,” Katharine Jenner, director of the Obesity Health Alliance, said in a statement. She called the ban “a common-sense, evidence-based step to protect children’s physical, mental, and dental health.”

The ban also had broad support for pediatricians, the national teachers union and public health campaigners.

However, Gavin Partington from the British Soft Drinks Association told the BBC that self-regulation was working.

“As with all government policy, it’s essential that any forthcoming regulation is based on a rigorous assessment of the evidence that’s available,” he said.

Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are also considering similar bans, according to the BBC.