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.

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs is going to ban energy drinks for children under 16, a measure that has been scientifically and medically supported for more than a decade. A single can of these drinks can contain an amount of caffeine equivalent to three or four espressos, in addition to other compounds, such as taurine and guarana, which have hardly been studied in the paediatric population, and very high amounts of sugar. Multiple studies and risk assessments by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have been pointing out for years that adolescents reach levels of caffeine associated with cardiovascular toxicity more quickly.

During adolescence, the brain goes through a critical phase of development in which the intake of high doses of caffeine not only significantly alters the quality and duration of sleep and the dopaminergic reward system (something that already happens in adults), but also increases young people's vulnerability to memory consolidation disorders, anxiety problems, depressive symptoms and even a higher risk of developing addictive behaviours in the future. Another consequence is an increase in paediatric consultations for tachycardia, arrhythmias, syncope and hypertensive peaks, events that were previously exceptional.

These drinks have no place in the diet of children and young people. Leading public health institutions, such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Spanish Paediatric Association (AEP), have warned that the neurological, cardiovascular and metabolic risks far outweigh any supposed benefits. In this sense, regulation is not a paternalistic measure, but a mechanism of protection against aggressive marketing strategies aimed at a particularly vulnerable population.

Energy drinks are products that, in addition to high amounts of caffeine, often contain other stimulants, such as taurine, which increase the stimulating effect associated with the idea of energy. Almost all energy drinks, in addition to being stimulants, contain significant amounts of sugar, like other soft drinks. The advertising they have been subjected to in recent years has made adolescents a population in which consumption is very high, as reflected in the results of the latest survey on drug use in secondary schools in Spain, ESTUDES.

Prohibiting their sale to minors could be a good measure to reduce their consumption and avoid the risks they pose in terms of higher incidence of obesity and other problems derived from their stimulating effect; but these are measures that focus exclusively on the end users of the product and do not establish limitations on manufacturing or advertising. They could be useful provided that efforts are made to monitor compliance with this ban — which is not always done — and they should be accompanied by other measures on advertising or on the characteristics of the products that would make them safer because, otherwise, we are ultimately focusing exclusively on responsible consumption, rather than on those who promote it; and that, in addition to being unfair, is inefficient.

As endocrinologists, there is international agreement that we must protect our children and adolescents. In terms of health protection, drinks containing stimulants can disrupt sleep and circadian rhythms at an important stage in development. They also tend to have a high glycaemic load, which can alter metabolism. Consumption is increasing, and it is important to recognise that this is a public health problem that we need to raise awareness about and establish measures to help prevent future problems that begin in the early stages of life. Legislating to help protect our children and adolescents is good news, as long as it is accompanied by awareness-raising and education. Beyond the law, it is essential that individuals are able to choose healthy environments. This is good news, but now we need to translate it into practical measures that are essential for its proper implementation and long-term health benefits.