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Spain to ban sale of energy drinks to children under 16

2026-02-25 17:42:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The Spanish government is moving forward with the approval of a law that will ban the sale of energy drinks to minors and will establish stricter rules on the advertising of unhealthy foods, with the aim of protecting the health of children and adolescents.

As announced by the Minister of Social Rights, Consumerism and Agenda 2030, Pablo Bustinduy, the new regulation will ban the sale of energy drinks to children under 16. For products with a high caffeine content, more than 32 mg per 100 ml, the limit is raised to 18 years.

The regulation is part of a wider package of measures for children's health. Similar regulations are already in force in several regions. For example, in Galicia, a regulation banning the sale and consumption of energy drinks to young people under 18 will soon come into force, while the region of Asturias is in the process of drafting legislation with the same age limit. The central government is now seeking to unify the criteria across the country, so that a single framework can be applied.

Ministry sources emphasize that the regulation is under preparation and that the legislation has not yet been finalized, given that the law-making process must be completed and the Council of Ministers deadlines must be met.

The ban will be added to other initiatives adopted in recent years. Last week, the Consumer Commission included energy drinks in its restrictions on the advertising of foods considered unhealthy to minors. In 2024, a royal decree on healthy and sustainable school meals banned their sale in schools and colleges.

A survey on food and energy drink advertising conducted by the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) shows that nine out of ten citizens in Spain support the adoption of this law. Among respondents aged 18-35, support is 88.3%.

The study also includes data on consumption: 25% of respondents drink energy drinks on average twice a week; 49% of those who consume them drink at least one a day and 47% regularly mix them with alcohol.

The legislation is also based on the report on the risks associated with the consumption of energy drinks prepared in 2021 by a scientific committee, which warned that high caffeine consumption can lead to sleep disorders, psychological and behavioral effects, as well as cardiovascular diseases.

In addition, another regulation is awaiting approval with which the minister, Pablo Bustinduy, wants to limit food advertising aimed at children, with the aim of reducing the exposure of minors to high-calorie and unhealthy foods and drinks that negatively affect their consumption habits. /CNA