A Private Member’s Bill seeking to ban the sale of high energy drinks to those aged under 18 will be debated in the Seanad on Wednesday.
The Public Health (Restriction on Sale of Stimulant Drinks to Children) Bill 2025 would regulate the sale, advertisement or promotion of the use of stimulant drinks to children, prohibiting the sale of stimulant drinks to under-18s.
The Bill would also provide for health warnings on drink labelling to the general public on the effect to a person’s health of the excessive consumption or use of stimulant drink products and to provide for related matters.
The Bill, by Independent Senator Sharon Keogan, is co-signed by Aontú Senator Sarah O’Reilly, and Senators Diarmuid Wilson and Rónán Mullen.
Sponsors say that the Bill “addresses growing public concern around” the sale of the popular drinks to young people and the health risks associated with them. Speaking this month in the Seanad, Senator Sharon Keogan said that such drinks are high in caffeine, sugar, and other stimulants such as taurine, wish she said had been linked to adverse health effects, including sleep disturbance, increased anxiety and cardiovascular issues in young people.
“Among other things, the Bill sets out to prohibit the sale of stimulant drinks to individuals under 18 years of age, with appropriate penalties for non-compliance. It also seeks to restrict advertising targeted at children, in particular in proximity to schools, youth clubs and other venues frequented by minors. In addition, it seeks to mandate clear health warnings on packaging and at points of sale, informing consumers of potential health risks associated with excessive consumption,” Keogan said.
Similar plans, including banning junk food ads and attempting to stop children buying high-caffeine energy drinks were among proposals put forward by Labour Ministers. While Keir Starmer’s Labour party faced criticism over nanny statism over the proposals, Starmer maintained that such measures would ease pressure on the NHS and reduce illnesses. The measures are to come into force in Britain in the coming months, as part of “radical” measures to tackle childhood obesity.
Senator Keogan said that the Bill mirrors proposals which have been accepted in Hungary.
The Hungarian parliament, a fortnight ago, adopted a new law making it illegal to sell energy drinks to under 18s, with MPs in Budapest unanimously approving the ban, which is set to come into force within weeks.
Hungary is not the first EU country to introduce such restrictions, with Lithuania having banned sales of energy drinks to under-18s in 2014, followed by Latvia in 2016. Poland enforced a similar ban last year.
“This initiative aligns with our commitment to safeguarding the health and well-being of our younger population. We will be following other European nations such as Hungary, which banned the sale of such drinks to minors last week, as well as Poland and Lithuania, where similar bans have resulted in major drops in the consumption of stimulant drinks among minors. I hope the House will grant leave to introduce the Bill. I look forward to engaging in a constructive debate on its provisions in due course,” Keogan said.
Senator O’Reilly of Aontú, commenting on the Bill, said: “High energy drinks are a multi-million-euro industry, and they are heavily marketed and promoted to young consumers. Look at any shelf in our supermarkets; they are absolutely laden down with these drinks. There’s almost 40 different brands on sale in this country at the moment which contrasts sharply with the range available in past years. Young people are attracted to them due to their promise of energy giving properties and believe they help in their quest for fitness.
“Crucially however the long-term health consequences of imbibing them are not so clear. These stimulant drinks have high levels of caffeine and sugar which are linked to adverse health effects, including insomnia, increased anxiety and digestive issues all of which are deeply disturbing. As adults we all know the effects of consuming too much caffeine for instance so it absolutely stands to reason that young people can be even more impacted.
The Bill aims to prohibit the sale of stimulant drinks to young people under the age of 18 as well as restricting advertising to this cohort, while ordering that clear health warnings on any potential health risks caused by excessive consumption be clearly visible on their packaging at points of sale.”
Senator O’Reilly pointed to other European countries, including Hungary, Poland and Lithuania “all of which have similar Bills restricting the sale of these high energy drinks to minors”.
The general principles of the Bill will be debated on Wednesday (14th May) as it progresses to the second stage.