More parties eyeing ban on energy drinks for children

Authorities and experts urge kids to steer clear of caffeine-laden drinks

They seem to be everywhere these days. There’s no denying the rise in popularity of energy drinks around the world – they even own football clubs and send people into space!

Red Bull, Monster and Booster are just some of the many variations that adults and children have access to in Denmark.  But that could change in the near future.

More parties in the halls of Parliament – including Dansk Folkeparti, Konservative and Enhedslisten – are leaning towards banning the sale of energy drinks to children.

“Kids under the age of 16 shouldn’t be able to buy and drink something that is dangerous. We need to find out whether a ban could help and, if this is the case, we will support it,” Orla Østerby, the spokesperson for children and food products for Konservative, told DR Nyheder.

READ MORE: Youngsters downing energy drinks for breakfast

An experiment
But while Alternativet party wants to also increase the taxes on energy drinks to make the product less attractive, Socialdemokratiet wants a ministerial investigation to look into the issue before forming an opinion. Venstre, meanwhile, doesn’t see a need for a ban.

But health experts are concerned.

“We simply don’t know enough about the effects that copious amounts of caffeine has on children and youngsters, and there are a lot of other things added to it, so it seems like a bit of an experiment on our kids,” Natasha Selberg, a dietician specialist with the heart association Hjerteforeningen, told DR Nyheder.




  • Gangs of Copenhagen

    Gangs of Copenhagen

    While Copenhagen is rated one of the safest cities in the world year after year, it is no stranger to organized crime, which often springs from highly professional syndicates operating from the shadows of the capital. These are the most important criminal groups active in the city

  • “The Danish underworld is now more tied to Scandinavia”

    “The Danish underworld is now more tied to Scandinavia”

    Carsten Norton is the author of several books about crime and gangs in Denmark, a journalist, and a crime specialist for Danish media such as TV 2 and Ekstra Bladet.

  • Right wing parties want nuclear power in Denmark

    Right wing parties want nuclear power in Denmark

    For 40 years, there has been a ban on nuclear power in Denmark. This may change after all right-wing parties in the Danish Parliament have expressed a desire to remove the ban.

  • Tunø: An island running out of time

    Tunø: An island running out of time

    The island of Tunø harbors a community of 74 adults and one child. There are no cars and only one connection to the rest of the world. Now, climate change threatens it

  • Cross-border moves on the rise in the Øresund region

    Cross-border moves on the rise in the Øresund region

    The number of relocations across the Øresund Region is rising. As highlighted by 2023 numbers, Sweden benefits from a growing interest, especially among younger generations.

  • In conversation with Conrad Molden: The man behind the mic

    In conversation with Conrad Molden: The man behind the mic

    He’s tickled our funny bone with countless wisecracks and clever wordplay, and in the process, made Denmark feel a little more personable to many expats. An international import himself, funny man Conrad Molden has successfully carved out a niche for himself on the Danish stand-up scene, but it’s taken a solid 13 years, much trial and error, and heaps of Danglish

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.