The $100 fine for breaking the rules

Quebec's health minister has tabled legislation to ban the sale of energy drinks to those under 16,citing the potentially harmful effects of energy drinks on teens. The ban would extend to online sales and vending machines, and anyone under 16 who breaks the rules would receive a $100 fine.

The move comes after the death of 15-year-old Zachary Miron, who died in 2024 after drinking a can of Red Bull while on ADHD medication. Miron's parents, David Miron and Veronica Martinez, were at the National Assembly on Friday for the occasion, and met with Premier Christine Fréchette.

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The push for a ban on the sale of energy drinks to teenagers also received support from parents, teachers , schools, school boards , public health associations, and several junior sports leagues. The Familiprix pharmacy chain pulled energy drinks from shelves last month after Quebec's order of pharmacists voiced its support to restrict the sale of energy drinks to those aged 16 and over.

A Montreal-area school, Collège Charles-Lemoyne in Longueuil, Que., has banned energy drinks on school premises after the 2024 death of a teen who consumed a can of Red Bull while on ADHD medication. The school has urged Quebec to limit sales of energy drinks to teens, and has implemented a ban on energy drinks on school premises.

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The legislation would also include measures to educate young people about the risks associated with energy drink consumption. Health Minister Sonia Bélanger said that the risks associated with energy drink consumption are too often trivialized, and that the province is facing a real and worrisome public health issue.

The bill would need unanimous support to pass, but since Maître Blanchette Vézina has the power to stop the bill, the outcome is uncertain .

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Maître Blanchette Vézina, the only member of the Conservative party to hold a seat at the legislature, does not want to rush legislation that would restrict or ban the sale of the drinks. She cited data from the Canadian Beverages Association, a lobby group for beverage manufacturers, which states that energy drinks only account for 11 per cent of the caffeine consumption of teens.

Blanchette Vézina is not opposed to a ban but wants to continue debating its merits in the fall, with a general election scheduled to be held by Oct. 5.