Energy drinks are now banned from all municipal buildings in Savitaipale, making the southeastern Finnish town the first municipality in Finland believed to have introduced such a comprehensive restriction.
The ban took effect at the beginning of September and covers schools, libraries, sports facilities and other buildings operated by the municipality. It applies to everyone who uses the facilities, including adults.
There is no financial penalty for breaking the rule. Instead, municipal staff are expected to intervene if they see someone drinking an energy drink and ask them to stop.
Savitaipale’s Director of Wellbeing, Aija Rautio, compares the approach with restrictions on smoking in public places. The aim is not to punish people for what they choose to consume, but to establish a clear environment where energy drinks are not part of everyday life in municipal facilities.
The decision followed a proposal from Savitaipale’s youth council, which was considered by the municipality’s Education and Wellbeing Committee in August. In its petition, the youth council argued that the availability and visibility of energy drinks, as well as the social habits surrounding them, can influence how much young people consume.
The issue has become increasingly visible in Finland as energy drinks have become a familiar part of many young people’s daily routines. According to a Youth Nutrition Survey by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, 67 percent of people aged 12 to 20 consume energy drinks at least occasionally. The survey also found that many young people believe they drink too many of them or feel dependent on the drinks.
Energy drinks have already faced restrictions in several Finnish schools since the 2010s, but Savitaipale’s policy goes further by extending the restriction across its municipal facilities and to people of all ages.
For local officials and youth representatives, the decision is also about the example adults set.
THL senior researcher Peppi Haario has backed the policy, pointing to the influence adults can have on young people’s behaviour. By removing energy drinks from municipal spaces altogether, the town is trying to change not only what young people see and have access to, but also what is considered normal in those environments.
The youth council believes social pressure is another part of the problem. Its chair, Vilma Sysiö, says energy drinks can become part of socialising among young people, with friends buying and drinking them together.
That makes the issue less straightforward than simply deciding whether an individual wants an energy drink. When a product becomes part of a group’s routine, young people may feel pressure to join in even when they would otherwise choose not to drink it.
Savitaipale’s youth council says the response to its petition has so far been positive. Sysiö hopes the town’s decision will encourage other Finnish municipalities to consider similar restrictions.
For now, Savitaipale has chosen an approach that relies on rules and social expectations rather than fines. Energy drinks remain legal to buy and consume elsewhere, but inside the town’s municipal buildings, the message is clear: they are no longer considered appropriate.
