Minors under 16 in Spain are increasingly likely to be banned from legally purchasing energy drinks. The Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030 is already working on new national regulations that will restrict the sale of these products to teenagers , amid growing concern about their impact on health.
The proposed legislation also includes a second layer of protection: beverages containing more than 32 milligrams of caffeine per 100 milliliters would also be banned for those under 18. The government aims to curb the consumption of highly caffeine-concentrated products, which are widely available and particularly popular among young people.
What exactly has the Ministry announced?
The Minister for Social Rights, Consumer Affairs, and the 2030 Agenda, Pablo Bustinduy, explained from Barcelona that his department will promote legislation to prohibit the sale of all energy drinks to minors under 16 years of age . For options with a caffeine content exceeding 32 mg per 100 ml, the restriction will be extended to all individuals under 18.
The minister admitted that the most appropriate legal framework and specific timelines are still being defined , as the legislation must undergo the necessary procedures and be approved by the Council of Ministers. Even so, Bustinduy insisted on his intention to see the text published "as soon as possible," emphasizing that the political and social climate is favorable for its passage.
The announcement coincided with the minister's visit to Barcelona, ​​where he participated in the first multi-venue congress on social services, care, and community. Before and after this event, Bustinduy met with the Gasol Foundation, an organization focused on combating childhood obesity through health promotion programs , a context that reinforces the public health focus of the measure.
The government emphasizes that the ban on minors is not intended to demonize the product , but rather to keep it out of reach of a population considered especially vulnerable due to their stage of physical and mental development. The goal is to reduce exposure to a type of beverage that, according to multiple studies, is associated with sleep problems, cardiovascular issues , and an increased risk of risky behaviors.
Broad social support and worrying consumption data
The initiative didn't arise in a vacuum. The Ministry is relying on the latest barometer from the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) , which reflects overwhelming support for limiting energy drinks for minors. According to this survey, nine out of ten people in Spain are in favor of prohibiting their sale to those under 16.
This support extends to young people themselves: 88,3% of those surveyed between the ages of 18 and 35 support the ban . Across all age groups, 91% consider it appropriate to prevent sales to minors under 16, and more than half the population (54%) would support extending the ban to the age of majority.
The same survey also confirms a clear perception of risk surrounding energy drinks . 25% of those surveyed admit to consuming them, with an average of just over two servings per week. Within that group, almost half (49%) report drinking at least one can a day, and 47% admit to regularly mixing them with alcohol , a particularly problematic combination from a health perspective.
Looking specifically at the adolescent population, the data is no more reassuring. The ESTUDES survey on drug use in secondary education, conducted by the Ministry of Health, indicates that 38,4% of students between 14 and 18 years old consumed energy drinks in the last month . Among them, boys show higher prevalence rates than girls, and consumption clearly increases from age 16 onwards.
Furthermore, around 15% of students aged 14 to 18 admitted to mixing energy drinks with alcohol in the 30 days prior to the survey, again with higher figures among males. This combined use multiplies the risks, as it masks the effects of alcohol and encourages higher consumption without the young person perceiving their level of intoxication.
Autonomous context and the need to harmonize the law
The state initiative comes at a time when several autonomous communities have already begun to take action on their own. Galicia has regulations prohibiting both the sale and consumption of energy drinks to minors under 18 , with the possibility of imposing fines of up to €3.000, and Asturias is working on its own regulations with age limits in line with the Ministry's proposal.
This diversity of criteria has generated unease among some in the distribution sector. Associations such as AESAD and ANGED have denounced the fragmentation of the domestic market caused by differences in the minimum purchase age between neighboring regions, with striking situations such as a 17-year-old being able to buy an energy drink in one municipality but, just a few kilometers away, being unable to do so due to the regulations of the neighboring region.
For the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, these tensions reinforce the need to unify regulations at the national level . The goal is to avoid "unjustifiable differences" between regions and offer a common framework that provides legal certainty and facilitates oversight, without abandoning the public health criteria that have led the pioneering regional governments to take action.
The ministry also points out that the Spanish move aligns with what is already happening in other European countries. Germany, Norway, Latvia, Poland, Hungary, and Lithuania have adopted similar measures aimed at limiting children's and adolescents' access to energy drinks, whether through direct sales restrictions, enhanced labeling, or targeted campaigns.
At the same time, Bustinduy insists that the future regulation will not focus solely on the end consumer , but is part of a broader strategy that includes restrictions in specific environments, control of advertising, and clear recommendations from health authorities on the role of these beverages in the diet.
What do science and health organizations say?
Scientific support for the measure has been one of the most frequently cited arguments by the Ministry. Reports such as the one prepared in 2021 by the AESAN Scientific Committee warn that high caffeine consumption can cause sleep disturbances, psychological and behavioral effects, as well as cardiovascular disorders, something especially relevant at ages when the nervous system is still developing.
The scientific literature cited by the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) underscores that adolescents reach caffeine levels associated with cardiovascular toxicity more rapidly . Risk assessment studies have shown that, above certain doses, consumption in young people can cause tachycardia, arrhythmias, spikes in blood pressure, syncope, and even, in extreme cases, serious events such as seizures.
Professionals like Jesús Francisco GarcÃa-Gavilán, a nutrition researcher at the Rovira i Virgili University , point out that a single can of certain energy drinks can be equivalent to three or four espresso coffees in terms of caffeine, in addition to the presence of other stimulating compounds such as taurine or guarana, which are barely studied in the pediatric population, and very high amounts of sugar.
During adolescence, the brain goes through a critical phase in which, according to these experts, chronic intake of large doses of caffeine can disrupt the quality and duration of sleep and the dopaminergic reward system . This disruption is linked to greater vulnerability to anxiety problems, depressive symptoms, difficulties in memory consolidation, and even an increased risk of addictive behaviors later in life.
Scientific societies and leading public health organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP) , point in the same direction: they consider that the possible benefits that can be attributed to these drinks in terms of "energy" or "performance" do not at all compensate for the neurological, cardiovascular and metabolic risks they entail in children and adolescents.
Effects on daily life and long-term health
Beyond the clinical data, experts point out that the impact of these drinks is noticeable in the daily lives of many teenagers. The Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) has indicated that sleep disturbances can be observed in young people aged 11 to 17 with as little as 60 milligrams of caffeine , which is roughly equivalent to consuming 200 ml of a typical energy drink containing 32 mg of caffeine per 100 ml.
When intake rises to 160 milligrams of caffeine, that is, the approximate content of a half-liter container of certain common brands , reports warn of more general adverse health effects: psychological and behavioral problems, irritability, nervousness, and an increased risk of cardiovascular disorders in predisposed individuals.
Lack of quality sleep is also associated with poorer academic performance, increased impulsivity, and difficulty concentrating , as well as being linked to metabolic problems such as obesity or type 2 diabetes. In fact, pediatricians and family doctors point to an increase in consultations for tachycardia, arrhythmias, syncope, and spikes in blood pressure in the young population, episodes that were much less frequent a few years ago.
From a nutritional standpoint, researchers like Javier Sánchez Perona, from the Instituto de la Grasa-CSIC (Institute of Fat-CSIC ), have drawn attention to the confusion surrounding the term "energy drink." Many parents and teenagers may interpret it as providing the necessary energy to face the day, when in reality its main contribution is a cocktail of caffeine, sugar, and other stimulants.
This misunderstanding sometimes leads to replacing key meals, such as breakfast, with a can of energy drink , which can cause a deficiency in essential nutrients and an unbalanced distribution of calorie intake. For these experts, given the scale of consumption among minors and the accumulated evidence, it is prudent to establish a specific ban for this age group at the point of sale.
A health problem, but also a cultural and advertising problem.
The energy drink phenomenon is not limited to the health sector. For public health specialists like Josep Maria Suelves, from the Behavioural Design Lab at the UOC eHealth Center , there is a decisive cultural and marketing component in the expansion of these products among young people, similar to what happened with tobacco.
Over the past decade, brands have launched highly aggressive advertising campaigns, linking their products to fun, extreme sports, and an active lifestyle . Influencers, elite athletes, and teen idols have been used to promote the drinks, creating an image of prestige and belonging that is particularly appealing to teenagers.
Data from the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) barometer indicates that each child in Spain is exposed to more than 4.000 advertisements for unhealthy food per year through television alone , which equates to almost 11 exposures per day. If social media and other digital platforms are included, that figure could reach around 30 advertisements per day, according to the Ministry's own calculations.
The WHO warns that continued exposure to this type of advertising increases total calorie intake, encourages the choice of foods and beverages with low nutritional value , and has a sustained detrimental effect on children's health. Furthermore, many marketing strategies employ persuasive techniques that go unnoticed by children, making it difficult for them to identify the message as advertising.
In this context, Bustinduy argues that regulating minors' access to energy drinks is not a paternalistic measure , but rather a form of protection against marketing strategies targeting a particularly vulnerable group. Several experts agree that public policies must go beyond simply promoting "responsible consumption" and also address supply, promotion, and sales conditions.
Other measures already underway and the Consumer Affairs roadmap
The announced regulations are not starting from scratch. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs already took an important first step by prohibiting the presence and sale of energy drinks in all schools across the country through the Royal Decree on Healthy and Sustainable School Canteens, approved in the previous legislature.
In addition to this restriction in schools and institutes, there has been an initiative to limit the advertising of foods with an unhealthy nutritional profile aimed at children and adolescents , a regulatory project that at the time met with opposition from part of the industry and that the current ministerial team wants to resume and strengthen.
According to the AESAN barometer, almost 80% of the population believes that advertising unhealthy foods to children should be banned . Countries such as Portugal, Norway, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Sweden have already implemented significant restrictions in this area, and Spain aims to align itself with these international recommendations to combat childhood obesity.
The ministry thus frames the ban on energy drinks within a broader strategy aimed at reducing the consumption of ultra-processed, high-calorie, and nutrient-poor products among children and adolescents. For Bustinduy, this is "a matter of public health" and of guaranteeing children's right to grow up in a healthier food environment, even if it means "curbing the power of the wealthy" and limiting certain business models.
Scientific and public health organizations consulted by entities such as Science Media Center Spain agree that regulatory initiatives must be accompanied by food education campaigns and rigorous monitoring of compliance . Without effective inspections and penalties, they warn, there is a risk that some sales will shift to less controlled channels.
In a context where nearly half of students aged 14 to 18 report consuming these types of drinks , and domestic sales have grown significantly in recent years, the government's announcement opens a fundamental debate about leisure activities, the role of advertising, and the limits society wants to place on minors' access to certain products. The proposed legislation, along with existing restrictions in schools and proposed advertising measures, points to a clear shift in Spanish policy regarding energy drinks.
