Reacción a "The Minister of Consumer Affairs announces that the sale of energy drinks to minors under the age of 16 will be banned throughout Spain"

From a chemical composition standpoint, energy drinks have a high caffeine content. According to the Spanish Food Safety and Nutrition Agency (AESAN), a 330 ml can is equivalent to almost one and a half espressos. This dose is high for children and adolescents. In addition, they often contain taurine, which enhances the effect of caffeine. These components, combined with the usual presence of sugar, provide no health benefits for this population. On the contrary, they can cause health problems, as has been scientifically proven.

Furthermore, the term “energy drink” can be misleading, both for children and adolescents themselves and for their parents, as it may be thought that these products provide the energy needed for daily activities. The underlying danger is that important meals of the day, such as breakfast, are replaced by these types of drinks, leading to a risk of energy and nutrient deficiency.

For all these reasons, and given that consumption of these drinks is high in this population group, as shown by data from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, I believe it is prudent to ban their sale to children under the age of 16.