FSSAI notice
Punjab renews ban on energy-drink sales to minors and near schools (Apr 2026)
Last checked 21 September 2026
On 21 Apr 2026 Punjab's FDA renewed for a year its bar on selling energy drinks to minors, in school canteens and within 100 m of rural and 50 m of urban schools; no brand is banned.
- Classification
- Regulatory notice or advisory
- Decided by
- Commissioner, Food and Drugs Administration, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Punjab
- Reference
- Punjab FDA order of 21 Apr 2026 under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006
- Latest action
- 3 July 2026
- Last checked
- 21 September 2026
Photo: Various energy drinks 03.jpg by Oto Zapletal (CC BY-SA 4.0). All photo credits.
Punjab energy drink ban: sale to minors prohibited, strict action near schools
Our team has checked this record against the published reports, last on 21 September 2026. The government order itself is not published online, or we have not found it yet, so we link the best public report. If you have the order, send it to us and we will link it instead.
Scope. A record here does not by itself mean a product or company is unsafe or banned today. Regulatory actions can apply to one batch, one formulation, one period or one state. Always check the linked government document for the current position, and tell us if something is out of date. How we label records.
Below: Blacklisted's explanationWe explain what has been reported. The report above is the best source we hold.
Key facts
- Issued
- 21 Apr 2026
- Duration
- One year
- Who cannot be sold to
- Children and adolescents under 18
- Where sale is barred
- School canteens and tuck shops; shops within 100 m of rural schools and 50 m of urban schools
- Grounds cited
- Cardiovascular, neurological and sleep effects of high caffeine intake; marketing aimed at young consumers
- Brands named
- None
- Relation to FSSAI order
- Separate. FSSAI's 3 Jul 2026 order changes labels nationally; Punjab's order restricts where and to whom the drinks are sold
On 21 Apr 2026 Punjab's Food and Drugs Administration renewed its restriction on energy drinks for another year. The terms match the 25 Apr 2025 order: no sale to children and adolescents, no sale in school canteens or tuck shops, and no sale by shops within 100 m of a school in rural areas or 50 m in urban areas.
The order's reasoning, as reported by PTC News, cites the cardiovascular, neurological and sleep effects of high caffeine intake in young people and marketing that increasingly targets them. It is issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which allows the state Commissioner of Food Safety to restrict sale of a food in the public interest.
The Punjab order is often confused with two other 2026 actions. FSSAI's 3 Jul 2026 order is national and changes the label to 'Caffeinated beverage' without stopping sale. Rajasthan's 11 Jul 2026 order prohibits named brands outright within that state. Punjab's order does neither: it limits where the drinks are sold and to whom.
What this means for you
Same rules as 2025
Nothing changed in the terms. Shops near schools and sales to under-18s remain off limits until April 2027.
Adults are not affected
The order does not restrict sale to adults away from schools, and it does not name any brand.
Labels will change anyway
From 29 Sep 2026 packs across India should read 'Caffeinated beverage' under FSSAI's separate order.
This is a record of official orders, not medical advice. Do not stop a prescribed medicine without asking your doctor or pharmacist.
Common questions
Can shops in Punjab sell Sting to adults?
Yes, unless the shop is within the school distance limits. The order restricts sale to minors and near schools only.
Official sources and primary records
- Punjab energy drink ban: sale to minors prohibited, strict action near schoolsNewsPTC News · 27 April 2026
- Sale of energy drinks banned near schools in PunjabNewsThe Tribune · 26 April 2025
- Punjab Government bans sale of energy drinks near schools to safeguard children's healthNewsThe Tribune · 15 May 2025