News · Health
Public Health bans 15 alcoholic energy drinks that 14ymedio found still on sale
The Public Health Ministry announced on 24 October a ban on importing and selling about 15 drinks that mix alcohol with caffeine and taurine, among them Shaka, after several poisoning cases. That same day, 14ymedio found several Havana shops still selling them.
Cuba will not allow the import or sale of alcoholic energy drinks and will cancel the health registrations that authorized their entry into the country, the Public Health Ministry (Minsap) announced at a press conference. Deputy Minister Carilda Peña García said the ban is not limited to Shaka, the best-known brand, but covers around 15 products that combine alcohol with energy-drink ingredients, and that it does not extend to non-alcoholic energy drinks or to traditional spirits.
Health authorities linked the decision to poisoning cases from excessive consumption, particularly among young people. In August, five cases were recorded in Sancti Spíritus in young adults over 18 who had drunk more than two cans, one of them needing intensive care. In Havana, one case of alcohol poisoning linked to Shaka was reported: the patient remained in serious condition at the time of the press conference.
An internal communication dated 20 October, obtained by 14ymedio and signed by the head of the Food Hygiene and Nutrition Department, orders health inspectors to halt sales and hold the products for later confiscation and destruction, with the possibility that their owners re-export them. The annex identifies 15 brands detected in Cuban shops and warns that others may be found.
The Ministry of Domestic Trade acknowledged that pulling merchandise already purchased means an economic hit for suppliers and retailers, and said alternatives are being assessed to determine how to handle existing stock. No general compensation mechanism has been announced for the businesses that bought drinks authorized by Cuba's own institutions.
Sources: Cubadebate · 14ymedio · Periódico Cubano
Data updated: 2026-10-25T04:15:00.000Z