Get our children away from energy drinks
17 March 2025
The Czech parliament wants to ban the sale of energy drinks to children under 15 in the coming months. It's a reaction to the multiple health problems associated with these sugary drinks. For instance, research suggests that they are partly responsible for the high share of obesity in Czechia – latest statistics have shown that 16% of Czech kids are obese. .
Czechia follows similar restrictions in use in other European countries, such as Lithuania, the United Kingdom, and Poland. However, the Polish example shows traders can easily find a way around the law. In Poland, drinks with a caffeine content below 150 mg/l aren't considered energy drinks, so it's not illegal to sell them. Therefore, energy drink makers have begun to prepare their products to get just under the limit. It's possible that Czechia would experience a similar scenario if the restriction gets approved.
 | Eliška Drobná It might therefore be more beneficial to follow the path taken by Denmark, Germany or Norway. These countries have not restricted the drinking age of these drinks, but have limited the maximum amount of caffeine, taurine and other stimulants. So children are still allowed to buy these products, but at least the general population is not exposed to the most harmful ones. |
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