Safefood Report Finds Rising Sugar And Caffeine Levels In Energy Drinks Popular Among Young People

A new Safefood report has found that sugar and caffeine levels in energy drinks sold across the island of Ireland have risen sharply since 2019, with strong public support for restricting their sale to children.

The Department of Health has welcomed the publication of the report, which surveys the sugar and caffeine content of energy drinks available in supermarkets and gathers insights on consumer behaviours, motivations and attitudes, including views on possible restrictions on sale.

Minister Murnane O'Connor said:

"I welcome the publication of this important Safefood report. It highlights some very interesting findings, particularly the high levels of energy drink consumption among young people and strong public support for restrictions on their sale to children. The Programme for Government committed to exploring restrictions on high caffeine energy drinks, particularly with regards to children. The data gathered by Safefood adds significantly to our understanding of this issue and will help inform future public health policy and measures in this area."

Minister Murnane O'Connor continued:

"Protecting the health and wellbeing of children and young people is a priority for both the Government and the Department of Health. The sale and consumption of stimulant drinks remains a concern, particularly given the popularity of these products among younger age groups.

Energy drinks can be high in caffeine and sugar, and this research provides important insights into how they are consumed, how widely available they are, and public attitudes towards them. These findings will help inform evidence-based measures to protect and improve health across Ireland."

The report compared data gathered in 2026 with previous Safefood surveys carried out in 2019 and 2015, providing a snapshot of the energy drinks market eight years after the implementation of the sugar tax.

The research was carried out in two parts. The first was a survey of energy drinks available in major supermarkets across the island of Ireland, conducted between February and May 2026. The second gathered insights on consumer behaviours, motivations and attitudes relating to energy drinks from a representative sample of people aged 15 to 74 across the island of Ireland, through face-to-face interviews with 807 people between October and December 2025.

Young people aged 15 to 24 were found to be the biggest consumers of energy drinks, with an "energy boost" the main reason given for drinking them. Most people were found to be aware of the potential negative effects of energy drinks, including on sleep, concentration and mood.

There was strong public support for restrictions on sales to children, with 77% in favour of introducing a legal age restriction for buying energy drinks.

The energy drink market was found to be rapidly growing and increasingly varied, with 77 products available on the island of Ireland in 2026, compared with 39 in 2015 and 42 in 2019.

Most energy drinks are sold as a single serving, and larger serving sizes are now more common: 55% of products were available in 500ml cans in 2026, compared with 38% in 2019. Larger serving sizes can significantly increase the amount of sugar and caffeine consumed in one sitting.

Average sugar levels increased from 22.6g per serving in 2019 to 30.9g per serving in 2026, roughly equivalent to an increase of two teaspoons of sugar per serving. A large proportion of energy drinks are now reduced sugar (37% in 2026), while 31% of energy drinks were liable for sugar tax, containing more than 5g of sugar per 100ml, a reduction compared with both 2015 (74%) and 2019 (41%).

Caffeine levels are also high, with an average content of 115mg per serving in 2026, equivalent to 1.4 cups of espresso. There was almost no change in caffeine content per 100ml from 2015 to 2026; however, larger container volumes mean people may consume more caffeine in one drink.

The Department of Health and the Minister said the evidence would help inform future public health policy initiatives.