Denmark Wants to Ban Energy Drinks for Children
Whether it's because they taste good or because people just want to feel more energized, energy drinks are becoming more and more popular around the world.
According to market research company Mintel, the sale of energy drinks increased by 73% between 2018 and 2023.
And it's not just adults buying them. Research done in 2024 by a different market research company, called Gitnux, found that more than 30% of children aged 12 to 17 drink energy drinks often.
Many people are quite worried about this, with studies showing that the use of energy drinks among children may cause higher levels of anxiety and stress.
This is partly because of the high levels of caffeine and sugar in these drinks, which can affect the nervous system and sleep.
Because of this, health and consumer groups in Denmark are asking for a ban on the sale of energy drinks to people under the age of 18.
Morten Grønbæk from Denmark's Center for Childhood Health told Euronews that children are under a lot of pressure from advertisements to drink energy drinks.
"Unfortunately, warnings and good intentions from the beverage industry have not been enough," he said.
The Danish Consumer Council and the Danish Food Authority have also spoken in favor of a ban.
Denmark wouldn't be the first country to introduce a ban like this. Lithuania became the first country in the European Union to ban the sale of energy drinks to under-18s in 2014, followed by Latvia in 2016, and Poland at the start of this year.
The UK has also been talking about a ban for some time. While a ban hasn't been introduced, many supermarkets in the country have already chosen to stop selling these drinks to children under the age of 16.
