The measure was announced by the Minister for Social Rights, Pablo Bustinduy.
According to the proposal, the ban will be even stricter for drinks high in caffeine. Drinks containing more than 32 milligrams of caffeine per 100 milliliters won't be sold to anyone under 18, reports EuroNews.
Protecting Young People's Health
The new regulation is part of a broader package of measures aimed at protecting the health of children and young people. Some regions in Spain already have similar restrictions, but the government wants to unify the rules nationwide.
According to data from the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN), 90% of the country's population supports the ban. In the age group 18 to 35, the support is at 88.3%.
Minister Bustinduy emphasized that ads for these products are harmful to children's health and urged companies to respect the “obligation not to harm children's right to health”.
What's the Situation in Europe?
At the EU level, there is no unified legislation regarding the sale of energy drinks. However, some countries have already introduced age restrictions.
For example, Lithuania has banned the sale to anyone under 18 since 2014, while in Latvia, the same ban has been in place since 2016. Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, and Romania have implemented various restrictions, including bans on sales in schools or from vending machines.
In Sweden, there's no legal age limit, but retailers have voluntarily agreed to restrict sales to those under 15. A similar limit is currently being discussed in the Czech Republic.
