Tenerife Cabildo calls for regional ban on energy drinks and vaping for under-16s
The Tenerife Cabildo has approved a motion calling for new regulations to ban the sale, distribution and advertising of energy drinks and vaping devices to under-16s, as concerns grow over their impact on young people’s health.
The proposal is inspired by pioneering measures recently introduced in Galicia. There, an autonomous law is currently being processed to restrict minors’ access to these products. Tenerife’s initiative urges the Canary Islands to follow a similar path in order to protect the health and well-being of children and teenagers.
Under the motion, the Cabildo is asking the Canary Islands Government to draft regional legislation that would prohibit the sale, distribution and promotion of energy drinks and vaping devices to anyone under the age of 16.
The proposal also calls on the cabildo itself to roll out educational and prevention campaigns, in coordination with other institutions, aimed at families, schools and young people. These campaigns would focus on raising awareness of the risks associated with consuming energy drinks and using vaping devices.
In addition, they are urging Spain’s Ministry of Health to develop specific nationwide regulations covering these products, including clear health warnings, tighter controls on advertising and age restrictions. The agreement will also be forwarded to the main educational and health institutions across the Canary Islands.
The motion highlights that the use of energy drinks and vaping devices has increased “alarmingly” in recent years, particularly among younger age groups, and describes the trend as an emerging public health threat. International bodies such as the World Health Organisation and the European Food Safety Authority have already warned about the risks linked to these products.
Energy drinks, which contain high levels of caffeine, sugar and other stimulants, and vaping devices, which include nicotine and potentially harmful chemical substances, have been associated with cardiovascular and neurological problems, sleep disorders, anxiety, dependency and damage to the physical and psychological development of minors. In the case of vaping, health reports also warn that it can act as a gateway to conventional tobacco use and poses a risk of serious lung injuries.
According to the latest reports from the Canary Islands Government’s Directorate General of Public Health, more than 70% of students in the third and fourth years of compulsory secondary education have tried energy drinks, and more than half have had contact with vaping devices.
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