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- The Ministry of Health checks: energy companies may be required to label advertisements
The Ministry of Health checks: energy companies may be required to label advertisements
In videos that advertise energy companies, they may be required to add a health warning. Amendments to this bill were approved by the Cabinet of Ministers. In addition, advertisements for such drinks should not be aimed at children and contain information about useful vitamins. But the experts questioned whether such labeling could affect the level of energy drink consumption. About how the norm will work and how dangerous energy companies are — in the Izvestia article.
Why did you decide to label ads?
Health warnings may require advertising of tonic drinks. The amendments of the Ministry of Health to the bill adopted in July 2025 in the first reading were approved by the government commission on legislative activity. This was reported to Izvestia by a source in the Cabinet.
The original bill stipulated that advertising of non-alcoholic tonic drinks, including energy drinks, should in each case be accompanied by a warning about the dangers of excessive consumption, explained Vladimir Gruzdev, Chairman of the Board of the Russian Bar Association.
— In such an advertisement distributed on the radio, the duration of such a warning should be at least three seconds. In advertisements distributed in video format, at least five seconds are allowed, and at least 7% of the frame area should be allocated to such a warning, and in advertisements distributed by other means, at least 7% of the advertising area," he said.
Amendments to the bill that has already been introduced tighten the rules for advertising energy drinks.
— It is proposed to establish that such advertising should not appeal to minors, and should also contain information about the presence of biologically active additives in such drinks, — added Vladimir Gruzdev. — If adopted, all the described mandatory requirements will enter into force on March 1, 2026.
A recent study that analyzed data from more than 1.5 million participants found a link between energy drink consumption and an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and attempts, said Badma Bashankaev, first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Health Protection.
— Why are we methodically advocating for limiting the intake of energy drinks for adults and a total ban on their use in children and adolescents?— he wrote on his social networks. — Young people and men who consume such drinks more often are particularly vulnerable. In addition, energy drinks are often combined with alcohol, smoking and other psychoactive substances, which exacerbates the risk.
In May 2025, the State Duma adopted a law on the establishment of liability for the sale of non—alcoholic tonic drinks to minors, providing for the following fines: for citizens from 30 thousand to 50 thousand rubles; for officials - from 100 thousand to 200 thousand rubles; for legal entities — from 300 thousand to 500 thousand rubles.
What are the dangers of energy
The illusion of harmlessness of energy drinks, which are so common, hides a serious blow to the body, recalled Vladimir Neronov, gastroenterologist at JSC "Medicine" (Academician Roitberg Clinic).
—Their key ingredient is caffeine," he said. — In small doses, it can be invigorating, but in energy drinks its concentration reaches 300-320 mg per liter. Yes, manufacturers produce such drinks in small packages — usually one jar contains no more than half of the permissible pharmacopoeial dose, that is, about 150 mg of caffeine. Technically, this is within the normal range.
However, if you regularly consume such drinks or drink several cans in a row, the body gets an overdose. In combination with other stimulants and carbonated water, the effect on the heart and blood vessels increases many times, the doctor emphasized. The consequences are rapid heartbeat, blood pressure spikes, insomnia, anxiety, tremor.
— Energy is especially dangerous for people with hypertension, arrhythmia and diseases of the digestive system. Carbonated caffeine is a direct route to reflux, an exacerbation of peptic ulcer disease and serious pancreatic problems," he added.
According to Ekaterina Kashukh, an expert doctor at the Hemotest laboratory, energy engineers artificially create a feeling of strength, overloading the nervous and cardiovascular systems.
"In addition, the dose of these substances in energy drinks exceeds the body's natural needs, and when combined with caffeine and sugar, they turn into a dangerous mix that negatively affects the endocrine system," she said. — Regular consumption of energy drinks disrupts natural sleep cycles. Caffeine blocks fatigue receptors, while taurine and guarana enhance this effect. It becomes difficult to fall asleep, and the deep sleep phase is shortened, which leads to frequent nighttime awakenings.
Also, people who constantly consume energy drinks have an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiac arrhythmias may develop.
Another trap is the combination of caffeine with alcohol. In this case, the tonic effect masks the degree of intoxication: the person feels cheerful, but does not control his condition, said Vladimir Neronov. It is this combination that most often leads to severe consequences, from acute cardiac arrhythmias to stroke.
— An energy drink is a "loan" from your own body. It gives strength at the moment, but requires a reckoning in the future — depletion of resources and exacerbation of chronic diseases," the expert said.
Energy drinks work through a combination of caffeine, sugar, and stimulants like taurine. For the brain of a teenager who is still in the active maturation phase, such substances act as "accelerators", but only for a short period of time. With regular use, an unstable mode of operation of the nervous system is formed.: surges of excitement give way to exhaustion. This is fraught with sleep disorders, problems with concentration and emotional control.
As a result, teenagers become more irritable, their ability to regulate behavior in the long term decreases, and mood swings increase. In addition, mental dependence may appear, Ekaterina Kashukh added. If the nervous system gets used to artificial stimulation, the natural energy regulation system will work worse. In this situation, a sudden withdrawal from energy drinks can cause withdrawal symptoms with headaches, irritability, and depression.
Does labeling affect consumption?
The effectiveness of warning bars on alcohol or energy drinks is very conditional, said neuropsychologist Maria Todorova. The main feature of the human psyche is that behavior is regulated not only by rational arguments, but also by emotional connections, motivation, and a sense of belonging to a group.
— For teenagers and young adults, who make up a significant part of energy consumers, it is not logic that is particularly important, but the social context: "my friends do this," "this is a symbol of growing up." In this logic, the inscription "harmful to health" is perceived as a background and practically does not reduce the desire to try, the expert believes.
From the point of view of neuropsychology, the brain is designed in such a way that the warning, which is repeated unchanged, gradually ceases to cause any reaction, Maria Todorova noted.
— This is called the addictive effect: a signal loses its significance if it is not followed by an immediate threat or tangible experience. Therefore, the plaque "harms your health" on a pack of cigarettes or a can of energy ceases to be perceived after several contacts, she said.
For an adult with stable habits, such warnings also rarely become a rejection factor. The decision to stop drinking or not using energy drinks is more likely to be related to personal motivation, health status or family circumstances, rather than the text on the label, the expert added.
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