The Balearic Government has approved a law prohibiting the sale of energy drinks to minors and establishing fines of up to €60,000. The measure, which is already in force, equates these products to alcohol and tobacco.
The Balearic Governing Council has given the green light this Friday to a law that prohibits the sale and supply of energy drinks to minors. The regulation, which is already in force, includes fines ranging from €6,000 to €60,000 for establishments that fail to comply, as announced by the Minister of Health, Manuela García.
The measure will be implemented through the modification of the regional law on drug dependence and other addictions, which means that energy drinks are equated with alcohol and tobacco regarding their sale to minors. Controls in shops, supermarkets, and large stores will be conducted in the same manner as with these products.
The prohibition affects non-alcoholic beverages that contain caffeine in high concentrations as a stimulating ingredient, usually combined with sugars, taurine, guarana, or glucuronolactone. Sports recovery isotonic drinks, whose composition and purpose are different, are excluded from this regulation.
The minister emphasized that the regulation focuses exclusively on sales to minors and does not affect other categories of products. Additionally, she recalled that Galicia implemented a similar measure months ago, positioning the Balearic Islands as one of the pioneering communities in this restriction.
Concerning consumption among youth
The decision is supported by data from the Estudes 2023 survey, which indicates that 47.7% of students aged 14 to 18 had consumed energy drinks in the last month, and 19.5% admitted to mixing them with alcohol during the same period.
The main scientific societies advise against the consumption of these products by minors due to their high caffeine and sugar content. Available evidence links their intake to sleep disturbances, nervousness, tachycardia, and an increased risk when combined with alcoholic beverages.
The law also includes a ban on the marketing of nitrous oxide, known as 'laughing gas', for recreational purposes. Its medical, health, food, and industrial uses will remain permitted.
The Government has opened an adaptation period for shops, supermarkets, and large stores to adjust to the new regulation. The decree must now receive approval from the Balearic Parliament for its final validation.
Establishments in the Balearic Islands will need to enhance monitoring in the sale of these products, as penalties for non-compliance can reach €60,000 in the most serious cases. The minister insisted that controls will be conducted with the same diligence as with alcohol and tobacco.
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