The bill, signed by Polish President Andrzej Duda in August 2023, goes into force on January 1, 2024.
Under the new regulations, energy drinks containing over 150mg/l of caffeine or taurine are to be clearly labeled, except for those where the substances occur naturally.
Failure to adhere to this requirement may result in fines of up to PLN 200,000 (EUR 44,677).
The new bill also imposes penalties on vendors who sell these products to minors, with fines reaching up to PLN 2,000 (EUR 447). Under the legislation, sellers are authorized to request identity documents, as they were while selling alcohol or tobacco products.
According to Dr Paweł Krukow from the Medical University of Lublin, eastern Poland, energy drinks are not as well understood as coffee and may have serious psychophysical effects, especially on younger consumers.
Dr Krukow stressed current research already indicates that teenagers consuming energy drinks regularly become more impulsive and vulnerable to peer pressure. They also experience mood swings when they stop consuming the energy drinks.
Dr Krukow also believes new research is urgently required to better understand the effects of energy drinks.
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Source: IAR