For selling energy drinks to children, they will be fined up to 500 thousand rubles. What you need to know

On May 22, the State Duma adopted a law on the introduction of administrative responsibility for the sale of non-alcoholic energy drinks to minors. The amount of the fine reaches 500 thousand rubles. Why the trade in such goods is limited is described in the Izvestia article.

What restrictions have been imposed

• Since March 1, the sale of energy drinks to children has already been banned in Russia. Previously, such a restriction was in effect only in certain regions. If the buyer has not reached the age of 18, the seller is obliged to refuse to sell him a harmful drink. In addition, regional authorities have been given the right to ban the sale of energy products in buildings and premises that are used for educational, medical, cultural and sports purposes.

• According to the new law, if the seller has doubts about the age of the buyer, he has the right to request a document allowing him to be identified. For selling energy products to persons under the age of 18, citizens will be fined from 30 to 50 thousand rubles, officials — from 100 to 200 thousand, and legal entities — from 300 to 500 thousand. The police will be held accountable. The law came into force from the moment of publication.

• The norms of administrative impact for violating the ban on the sale of energy drinks to children, by analogy with tobacco products, were not fixed earlier. And this greatly reduces the effectiveness of the ban. The amount of fines will have a restrictive effect on sellers who violate these laws.

Starting organism: how they will be fined for selling energy drinks to children

The sanctions can reach up to half a million rubles.

• Previously, responsibility for the sale of energy drinks to children was established only in a number of regions, for example, in the Moscow Region and St. Petersburg. However, the fines there are much lower.

Why do they impose restrictions?

• Teenagers are most often introduced to energy products at the age of 10-16 years, and the peak occurs at 13-14 years. The main motives for taking energy drinks are their pleasant taste, the desire to quench thirst, the desire to cheer up a little, and also to improve physical endurance. At the same time, they do not think about the possible consequences of addiction to these drinks.

Energy drinks are drinks containing a mixture of substances that stimulate mental and physical activity. One of their main ingredients is caffeine. It also often contains combinations of other stimulating ingredients, such as herbal supplements (guarana extract, ginseng, mate, ginkgo biloba), simple sugars (glucose, fructose), amino acids (taurine, carnitine, creatine), and B vitamins (nicotinic acid B5, vitamins B6 and B12).

To a new level: video game developers face fines of up to 5 million for banned content

The State Duma believes that the amount of penalties should be comparable to similar punishments for the media.

• Energy drinks have a detrimental effect on the human nervous system, disrupt biological rhythms, and cause cardiovascular failure. Therefore, restrictions on their sale to minors are aimed at protecting the health of the younger generation.

• Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin confirmed that the harm from energy drinks is obvious. They increase blood pressure, create a risk of early development of cardiovascular diseases, as well as diabetes due to their high sugar content. The speaker of the lower house stressed that sometimes irresponsible businessmen try to replenish the cash register at the expense of children. According to him, this is unacceptable and should be severely punished.

Why did you pay attention to the energy industry

• The parent community advocates tougher measures, as children who regularly buy energy drinks have problems with absent-mindedness and other health problems.

• Yaroslav Nilov, head of the State Duma Committee on Labor, Social Policy and Veterans' Affairs (LDPR), spoke about cases when teenagers who drink energy in large quantities end up in the hospital, in the addiction department. According to him, sometimes it ends in death. He also called for adults to be warned about the dangers of such drinks. He considers it necessary to introduce a requirement for manufacturers of energy drinks. In particular, in his opinion, the label should have a clear and understandable label, which will clearly indicate that the product may be harmful to health. This was also supported by the head of the State Duma Committee on Health Protection, Sergei Leonov (LDPR), who called for this labeling to focus on the consequences for pregnant women.

During the preparation of the material, Izvestia interviewed:

• Taisiya Veprentseva, founder of the Delomant Group law firm;
• Tatiana Butskaya, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Family Protection, Fatherhood, Motherhood and Childhood;
• Dmitry Kvasha, Managing Partner of the Kvasha and Partners Law Office.