One in four Spanish children consume energy drinks despite health risks, AESAN warns

A quarter of Spanish children between three and ten years old are drinking energy beverages laced with caffeine and sugar—a finding that has alarmed the country's food safety authorities and prompted urgent calls for stricter regulation. The Spanish Food Safety and Nutrition Agency (AESAN) released data showing that consumption of these drinks has grown substantially in recent years, climbing to nearly two-thirds among adolescents, despite mounting evidence of serious health consequences.

The numbers are stark. A standard 100-milliliter serving of an energy drink contains 32 milligrams of caffeine. According to AESAN guidelines, children under eleven should not consume these beverages at all. Those aged eleven to thirteen should limit intake to 200 milliliters daily, and teenagers fourteen to seventeen to no more than 250 milliliters. Yet the actual consumption patterns far exceed these thresholds. In 2013, two out of every ten children were consuming two liters monthly; that figure has climbed significantly since, with no regulatory intervention to slow the trend.

The health consequences are documented and varied. More than half of children and adolescents who drink these beverages experience side effects ranging from aggressive behavior and nervousness to sleep disruption, heart palpitations, digestive problems, and declining academic performance. The weight gain is particularly concerning given Spain's existing childhood obesity crisis. A single can contains the equivalent of fifteen sachets of sugar, a fact that nutritionists describe as a public health catastrophe. The culprit is not caffeine alone. These drinks also contain taurine, an amino acid the body produces naturally, along with questionable plant extracts and unnecessary vitamins—a cocktail designed to appeal to young consumers seeking an energy boost.

The marketing machinery bears significant responsibility. Parents, often unaware of the risks, purchase these drinks believing the advertising claims about strength and vitality. The European Food Safety Authority banned companies from explicitly claiming their products "energize" or "boost" capacity back in 2011, yet the industry has simply adapted its tactics, relying on branding and packaging to convey the same message. Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to confusion: eighty percent believe isotonic sports drinks are equivalent to energy drinks, a misunderstanding with real consequences. The caffeine's diuretic effect compounds dehydration risk during physical activity, potentially triggering heat illness.

Vulnerable families face disproportionate exposure. Chronic health conditions cluster in economically disadvantaged communities, and energy drink consumption follows the same pattern. As one nutritionist noted, health outcomes are determined not by genetics but by postal code. Children in poorer households are more likely to consume these products and suffer their consequences.

Experts are calling for dramatic intervention. Some propose outright prohibition for anyone under eighteen, similar to restrictions in other countries. Others advocate for mandatory warning labels prominently displayed on packaging, reclassification of these beverages from "refreshing drinks" to "sugared drinks" under Spanish law, and clear health advisories about the risks of caffeine and sugar content. The current regulatory framework treats energy drinks as ordinary soft drinks, a classification that presumes a benign profile these products simply do not possess. An advertising lawyer specializing in food law suggests labeling should read something like: "Product with nutritional profile inadvisable for the general population and especially contraindicated for minors due to high content of substances harmful to health."

The gap between what regulators permit and what health professionals recommend continues to widen. While the government has emphasized both regulation and education, nutritionists argue that education alone cannot compete with sophisticated marketing campaigns. The responsibility, they insist, cannot fall solely on parents to resist industry messaging. Without structural change—new labeling requirements, sales restrictions, or outright bans—consumption will likely continue climbing, particularly among children whose developing bodies are least equipped to handle the physiological stress these drinks impose.