Kyrgyzstan may ban energy drink production and imports

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has instructed the government to consider banning the production and import of energy drinks in the country. He stressed that protecting public health should take priority over economic interests.

In a statement published on social media on November 5, the president tasked the Cabinet of Ministers with examining possible restrictions on the circulation of energy drinks within one month. The government has also been instructed to adopt relevant regulatory measures within six months, in accordance with existing legislation.

How much energy drink is consumed in Kyrgyzstan?

According to figures cited by Japarov, domestic consumption of energy drinks in Kyrgyzstan reached 54.199 million litres in 2025. This is equivalent to approximately 129 million cans.

In the first half of 2026, consumption amounted to 36.083 million litres, or around 85.9 million cans.

Kyrgyzstan produced 25.263 million litres of energy drinks in 2025. Imports from Eurasian Economic Union member states totalled 28.430 million litres, while another 1.239 million litres came from other countries.

How much could the budget lose from a potential ban?

According to the president's preliminary estimates, banning the production and import of energy drinks could result in approximately 1.5 billion soms in lost government revenue from direct and indirect taxes.

Available figures show that tax and customs revenues from the sector amounted to 1.1041 billion soms in 2025. In the first half of 2026, this figure reached 996.71 million soms.

Japarov also noted that medical specialists, including cardiologists, urologists and endocrinologists, have warned about the consequences of excessive energy drink consumption. In his view, regular consumption of such products can become a habit and lead to health problems.

What restrictions apply in other countries?

The Kyrgyz president also referred to international practices. According to him, Lithuania and Latvia have restrictions on the unrestricted sale of energy drinks in regular retail stores.

Since 2024, Poland has prohibited the sale of energy drinks to people under the age of 18. In Kazakhstan, the sale of these beverages to people under 21 has been prohibited since January 1, 2025.

In Kyrgyzstan, advertising for energy drinks has been banned since July 2023. In October 2026, the Jogorku Kenesh established a temporary parliamentary commission to examine issues related to the circulation, quality and accessibility of these products for young people.

The latest initiative has therefore brought broader regulation of the energy drink market onto the national agenda. However, no final decision has yet been made on banning their production and import.

Author: Hasanboy OCHUN