KUWAIT: Juice shops and baqalas in Kuwait say they were caught off guard by last month’s decision regulating the sale and promotion of energy drinks, but the move is already prompting consumers to cut back. The ministerial decision prohibits the sale of energy drinks in juice shops and baqalas, as well as in schools, universities, government institutions, restaurants, cafés, food trucks, vending machines and delivery platforms. Sales are now limited to cooperative societies and supermarkets, where purchases are subject to age and quantity restrictions.
An Egyptian juice shop operator in Hawally, who requested anonymity, told Kuwait Times the decision had cut off a key source of income, noting that energy drinks previously accounted for around 20 to 30 percent of the shop’s total sales. “Customers usually ordered energy drinks blended with flavors such as berry or peach. Very few asked for an energy drink on its own,” he said. He added that most of the remaining stock had been sold before the decision came into effect, while the rest was later collected by the distributor, who refunded the money.
In the same area, a 42-year-old Moroccan baqala vendor said the decision was enforced without prior notice, coinciding with the purchase of a new batch from a distributor. He said he was left with stock worth approximately KD 150, which he now stores at home, as the energy drink distributor he deals with has yet to respond about returning the products. “Only if we had been given just a one-month grace period, we could have managed,” he said, suggesting the policy could have followed a model similar to cigarette regulations by restricting sales to customers above a certain age.
In Salmiya, an Iranian baqala vendor said his shop had relied heavily on energy drink sales, noting that he used to sell around two cartons a day, often alongside snacks such as chips and chocolates. Following the ban, he is left with around 25 cartons stored in a warehouse, awaiting collection by the
distributor, with no clear timeline. He described the losses as significant, stemming both from existing unsold stock and from the fact that he is no longer able to sell the product altogether. “At least we should have been given a grace period,” he said, echoing concerns raised by other vendors.
Vendors also questioned the logic of banning sales in juice shops while allowing the products to remain available in hypermarkets and cooperative societies. “If energy drinks are considered harmful, the restriction should apply uniformly across all outlets,” the juice shop operator said, adding that other widely available products, such as cigarettes, carry more serious health risks.
The ministry, however, said the measures are part of broader efforts to protect public health, particularly among youth, by reducing access to high-caffeine beverages and limiting potential health risks linked to excessive consumption. While energy drinks remain available in certain outlets, the decision strictly prohibits sales to individuals under the age of 18. Individual consumption is limited to two cans per day, with each 250-ml container capped at 80 mg of caffeine.
Producers and importers are also required to display clear health warnings on packaging, while all forms of commercial advertising, sponsorships and promotional campaigns are banned. Although sellers say they have no choice but to comply with the new regulations, they worry that the long-term impact remains uncertain. They expressed concerns that sustained losses could eventually lead to reduced working hours, salary cuts or even closures, particularly among small, independent businesses.
Anees Faqeeh, a 31-year-old Lebanese daily consumer of energy drinks, said the decision has made him think twice before buying them, as they have become less convenient to access through his usual channels. “Now that I have to visit a cooperative society or hypermarket just to buy an energy drink, I often change my mind, feeling it’s not worth the effort, so I resort to drinking coffee instead,” he said. “Only if someone I know tells me they’re going to the cooperative do I ask them to buy it for me, just in case I need it later.”
While he respects the decision, understanding the negative impact the drinks can have on children — especially as some consume them to show off or appear “cool” — he believes that a complete ban is not ideal and that regulation would be a better approach. Faqeeh added that he has never felt negatively affected by energy drinks, despite consuming them since the age of 19, and said the same applies to those in his social circle. Ultimately, he said he is neither strictly for nor against the decision, adding: “If I want to buy it, I’ll just buy it anyway from the places where it’s allowed.”
Dhoha Ali, who said she consumes up to two energy drinks a day, said she felt the impact most when the drinks vanished from online delivery platforms. “The other day I wanted to order one and it wasn’t there, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, now I have to make coffee,’ which really upset me,” she said. Despite the inconvenience, Ali said she supports the decision, pointing to the negative effects energy drinks have had on her. “I am for the decision. I can feel that they make me very anxious, jittery and uncomfortable,” she said, adding that her brain has become “programmed” to associate productivity with energy drinks, even when they are not necessary.
