Spain’s Consumer Affairs Ministry has announced that it will implement rules to ban the sale of energy drinks to people under the age of 16.
The ban on energy drink sales will also be extended to those under the age of 18 when it comes to products with more than 32 milligrams of caffeine per 100 millilitres.
The prohibition will mean that minors will no longer be able to buy well-known brands from shops including Red Bull and Monster Energy, among many others.
Spain’s Minister of Social Rights and Consumer Affairs Pablo Bustinduy announced the plan during a statement to the media in Barcelona on Wednesday before meeting with the Gasol Foundation, an organisation that aims to combat childhood obesity.
According to a recent barometer by the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN), banning the sale of energy drinks to minors has broad public support, with nine out ten Spaniards already saying they will back it.
According to this barometer, support for the ban is also very high among young people, with 88.3 percent of respondents between 18 to 35 also in favour.
The study revealed that 25 percent of respondents consume energy drinks around twice a week, and almost half of those who consume these drinks have at least one a day. In addition, 47 percent regularly mix them with alcohol.
READ ALSO: Spain’s Galicia region bans minors from consuming energy drinks
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Energy drinks, along with other sugary drinks, were already banned in schools in Spain last year due to health concerns.
According to a report from the AESAN, excessive caffeine consumption can cause physiological effects such as sleep disturbances, psychological effects and behavioural changes, as well as cardiovascular disorders.
Two regions in Spain already have a ban on the sale of energy drinks to under 16s, including Asturias and Galicia, which was introduced last year.
Other European including the UK, Germany, and Poland, have also implemented similar measures or plan to do so in the near future.
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As well as prohibiting energy drinks for minors, Bustinduy also plans to implement regulations on advertising unhealthy foods aimed at children and teenagers.
“These ads are harmful to their health,” he said, adding that the plan responds to a “public outcry.”
The AESAN barometer revealed that 80 percent of the population believes that advertising unhealthy foods to minors should be banned.
In Spain each child sees more than 4,000 advertisements for unhealthy food per year on television, which is almost 11 ads a day.
The Gasol Foundation found that 80 percent of children and teens consume unhealthy foods and drinks in Spain.
“Companies in the sector have a duty not to promote the consumption of food and drinks that jeopardise children’s right to health in our country,” the minister stated.
