The age restrictions on energy drinks by country list compares laws that set a minimum purchase age (or otherwise restrict sales) of energy drinks for minors. In many jurisdictions there is no national age-of-sale law; instead, governments rely on caffeine warning labels (e.g., under Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011) and voluntary retail policies. [1] Public-health bodies in several countries advise that high-caffeine drinks are not recommended for children. [2] [3]
In some countries, retailers apply a sales policy restricting the sale of energy drinks to minors, even though the law does not prohibit their sale.
Country | Minimum age | Notes |
---|---|---|
Albania | 18 [4] | Law includes explicit clause: “Ndalohet shitja e pijeve energjike personave nën 18 vjeç”; extends school/institution bans and signage/ID-check obligations. [5] |
Armenia | 18 [6] | Prohibits sale of energy drinks to persons under 18; also bans vending-machine sales and restricts advertising. [7] |
Azerbaijan | 18 [8] | Sale of energy drinks to persons under 18 prohibited by sanitary norms; rules announced in 2019 and in force from 1 January 2020. [9] |
Belarus | 18 [10] | National ban on sales to minors effective 8 July 2021. [11] |
Bulgaria | 18 [12] | Parliament adopted amendments introducing a ban on the use, offering and sale of high-caffeine products (energy drinks) to children (under 18), via changes to the Child Protection Act in 2025. [13] [14] |
Honduras | 18 [15] | Prohibits sale and consumption of energy drinks to persons under 18 nationwide; also prohibits sales in schools, health and sports establishments; implementing regulation published by Secretaría de Desarrollo Económico (SDE). [16] |
Hungary | 18 [17] | Parliament adopted a national ban on sales to under-18s in 2025; enforcement applies in stores and delivery. [18] |
Kazakhstan | 21 [19] | National law sets 21+ minimum for energy drinks. |
Kosovo | 18 [20] | Draft law approved in principle on 5 December 2024; not yet in force pending final adoption/promulgation. [21] [22] |
Kuwait | 16 [23] | Ministerial Decision No. 558/2012 (Ministry of Commerce & Industry) prohibits sale/consumption of energy drinks to persons under 16; a subsequent ministerial guideline (Decision No. 470/2013) lists implementing details and labeling/retail requirements. [24] |
Kyrgyzstan | 18 [25] | National ban on sales to minors since 2017. |
Latvia | 18 [26] | Law prohibits sales to under-18s; also restricts retail placement and vending machines. |
Lithuania | 18 [27] | National ban effective 1 November 2014. |
North Macedonia | 14 [28] | Law on Trade, Article 24: retail sale of energy drinks prohibited to persons under 14; signage and age-verification duties specified. [29] |
Norway | 16 [30] | National regulation sets a 16+ minimum; in force from 1 January 2026; announced by the Government. [31] |
Poland | 18 [32] | In force since 1 January 2024; prohibits sales to under-18s and in schools/vending machines. [33] |
Romania | 18 [34] | National ban effective 15 March 2024. [35] |
Russia | 18 [36] | Federal ban (age verification rules approved). [37] |
Turkey | 18 [38] | National ban on sales to persons under 18; additional retail restrictions (schools, hospitals, etc.) apply under the communiqué. Some reports say that this ban is not being properly enforced. [39] |
Uzbekistan | 18 [40] | National ban on sales of energy drinks to minors since 2019; enforcement noted in official updates. [41] |
Country | Minimum age (national law) | Notes |
---|---|---|
Australia | None [2] | No national age limit; mandatory advisory statements “not suitable for young children” under the Food Standards Code. [42] |
Canada | None [43] | No national age-of-sale law; federal limits and cautionary labels (up to 180 mg caffeine per serving) apply to caffeinated energy drinks. [44] |
France | None [45] | No national age-of-sale rule; EU high-caffeine warning label applies. [46] |
Germany | None [47] | No nationwide legal age limit as of 2025; Länder ministers urged examining a 16+ rule, and some retailers apply voluntary under-16 policies (e.g., Rossmann, Lidl). [48] [49] [50] |
Italy | None [51] | No national age-of-sale rule; EU labeling applies. |
Spain | None [52] | No national age-of-sale rule; national food safety agency reiterates EU high-caffeine warning requirements. |
Sweden | None; major retailers restrict to under-15s | No national legal age-of-sale restriction; an industry agreement (2009, revised 2022) recommends not selling energy drinks to persons under 15, widely applied by retailers. [53] Reporting confirms there is no statutory age limit while many stores use a 15-year policy voluntarily. [54] |
United Kingdom | None (national law); major retailers restrict to under-16s [55] | UK law has no nationwide sales age; labels must carry “High caffeine content. Not recommended for children…” for drinks >150 mg/L caffeine. [56] [57] In September 2025, the UK government launched a 12-week consultation proposing a legal ban on sales of high-caffeine energy drinks (>150 mg/L) to under-16s in England. [58] [59] |
United States | None (federal law) [2] | No federal minimum age of sale; some local jurisdictions restrict marketing/sales in limited venues (e.g., Suffolk County, NY, county parks). [60] |
Across the European Union and the United Kingdom, beverages (other than tea/coffee-based drinks) containing more than 150 mg/L of caffeine must bear the statement: “High caffeine content. Not recommended for children or pregnant or breast-feeding women”, together with the caffeine amount per 100 mL, in the same field of vision as the product name. [1] [46]