Background: In recent decades, childhood obesity has become a major public health concern, with increased consumption of high-calorie, low-nutritional-value products playing a significant role. Among these products, the high intake of energy drinks (EDs)—characterized by elevated levels of caffeine, sugar, and stimulants—has been associated with a range of physical and psychological consequences, including obesity, hypertension, sleep disturbances, and anxiety.
Methods: To analyze the policy landscape and identify facilitators and barriers to the implementation of measures aimed at controlling ED consumption, data were collected through a systematic review of literature and national and international policy documents, as well as semi-structured interviews with key informants from health and policy stakeholders.
Results: To strengthen interventions, priority should be given to educational actions, including improving nutritional literacy, raising awareness of the adverse health effects of consumption, and encouraging the active involvement of families, schools, and media. Alongside educational efforts, the implementation of health-oriented taxation based on sugar content, strengthening policies on healthy school canteen guideline to prohibit the sale of EDs within and around schools, enforcing age restrictions, enhancing labeling through clear health warnings, imposing a comprehensive ban on advertising, and reinforcing monitoring, and policy evaluation infrastructures are strongly recommended.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that existing policies to limit the consumption of EDs include taxation, advertising bans, and restrictions on availability in schools. However, their effectiveness remains limited due to factors such as economic conflicts of interest, lack of reliable data, regulatory ambiguity, weak labeling requirements, and the absence of robust monitoring and evaluation systems. |
