Selling
energy drinks to minors will be illegal in Lithuania when a new law, passed
today, takes effect in November.
Only six
parliamentarians abstained from this morning’s vote while 88 supported the food
law amendment initiated by Dangute Mikutiene, chairperson of the parliamentary
Committee for Health Affairs.
Under the
new law, retailers, bartenders and others selling energy drinks must ask young
buyers for identification certifying the buyer is at least 18 years. Buying energy drinks on behalf of underage
consumers will also be illegal.
The law
also defines energy drinks as non-alcoholic beverages containing more than 150
mg per liter of caffeine or more than 150 mg liter of caffeine and a central
nervous system stimulant such as glucuronlacton, inositol, guaranin,
ginsenoside, ginkgo extract, or taurine.
The EU has
been notified of the amendment.
The
European Food Safety Authority last year interviewed 52,000 persons in 27
countries about their consumption of energy drinks. The survey revealed that the energy drinks
are most popular among teenagers comprising 68 percent of consumers.
Update: Health Care Ministry aims to set a trend in the European Union
Almantas
Kranauskas of the Health Care Ministry said Lithuania may be the first in the
EU to ban the sale of energy drinks to children.
“We sent
inquiries to other EU countries. A small group did not respond. The ones that
responded said they only have guidance restrictions. I cannot provide any
official statistics but these are the results of our survey,” Kranauskas of the
ministry’s Health Promotion Department told BNS.
“I believe
it will be an impulse to other EU countries. Many countries stumble and may be
influenced by the energy drink industry, which is very wealthy. This may help
them decide,” said Kranauskas.
Kranauskas
said the high levels of caffeine in energy drinks can stimulate hyperactivity
and dangerous behaviors in children. He
also warned against the addictive nature of caffeine and warned it could be a
gateway to other drugs,
“Some
articles suggest this can stimulate to start using stronger psychotropic
substances, including drugs.”
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