Finland Urges Ban on Energy Drink Sales to Teens Under 18

(MENAFN) Finland's leading public health authority is calling for an immediate ban on energy drink sales to minors, sounding the alarm over a deeply entrenched consumption habit among the country's youth.

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare issued the call Thursday after its findings revealed that nearly seven in 10 young people between the ages of 12 and 20 consume energy drinks at least on occasion, a public broadcaster reported.

The institute's data painted a troubling picture of dependency — with the majority of young consumers reporting reliance on the beverages, and a significant share admitting they reach for them to combat fatigue or sharpen alertness.

Yet experts warn the habit may be producing precisely the opposite result. "High consumption, especially in the evening, can have the opposite effect -- it can worsen sleep and increase tiredness," said research director Sari Niinisto in a news release.

Niinisto raised additional red flags over a growing trend of adolescents replacing meals with energy drinks, with some in the 12–20 age bracket skipping breakfast and school lunches in favor of the heavily caffeinated beverages — a pattern she warned could drain energy levels and blunt cognitive performance throughout the school day.

The institute's push for a retail ban reflects mounting concern across Europe over the largely unregulated access minors have to high-caffeine products, with Finland now joining a growing list of nations weighing tighter restrictions on youth consumption.

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