Chechen Ministry of Public Health equates energy drinks to beer

Chechnya introduces a ban on sale of energy drinks to minors. Recently, such drinks became very popular among Chechen young people; however, doctors believe that excessive use of these drinks can seriously deteriorate one's health.

"By their features, non-alcoholic energy drinks are comparable with beer.

Agents contained in them are harmful to adolescents, who are main consumers of such drinks. Therefore, we advocate a ban on the sale of energy drinks to minors," said the Ministry of Public Health.

The local clergy support the ban on sale of energy drinks to adolescents. "The Koran clearly states that a person must abstain from anything that intoxicates and stupefies one's head. If energy drinks are harmful to the health of our children, they just need to be banned," said a Mullah of a mosque in Grozny.

Young people treat the ban negatively. "For some reason anywhere in the world such drinks are not forbidden; however, they've suddenly found here that they are harmful to one's health. Authorities here are so fond of all these prohibitions and restrictions for young people that they don't know what else should be banned. However, for some reason nobody reminds them that Chechnya is a part of the Russian Federation, where secular laws, not the Sharia, are in force," said Khasan, a student of a higher school in Grozny.