The Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP) announced this Saturday the national ban on the import and commercialization of alcoholic energy drinks in Cuba, as reported by the state media Cubadebate, and also ordered the cancellation of all health registrations that authorized their entry into the country.
The measure affects about 15 brands that combine alcohol with energizing components. The Deputy Minister of Public Health, Carilda Peña García, led the press conference where she detailed the extent of the provision and mentioned among the affected products Shaka, Shaka Mixer Energy-Vodka, and Vodka Energy, with Shaka being the most recognized brand by the public.
The sales ban also applies to existing stock in warehouses and across the entire retail network. Additionally, no new health registrations will be granted for these beverages, and the current ones will be rendered void, which prevents any future imports.
The director of Consumer Protection at the Ministry of Domestic Trade (MINCIN), Yalina Garbey Rivera, acknowledged that withdrawing already purchased goods has an economic impact on suppliers and marketers, and stated that alternatives are being assessed to address these consequences. However, she clarified that these economic aspects do not alter the health decision.
The regime justified the measure due to the cases of poisoning reported in several provinces, particularly among young people.
In August, five young people aged between 18 and 22 were hospitalized in Sancti Spíritus after consuming Shaka: four exhibited vomiting, tachycardia, and headaches, while a young woman arrived nearly in a coma and required mechanical ventilation for 24 hours.
In Havana, another case was reported that also required intensive care, and the patient was in critical condition at the time of the conference.
Peña García clarified that the prohibition is not due to product adulteration or non-compliance with composition parameters. "The can contains what the manufacturer declares," he stated, and specified that "the risk lies in excessive consumption and not in the composition of a specific product."
The danger lies in the combination of alcohol with caffeine and taurine: caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and can mask the feeling of drunkenness, leading to the consumption of larger amounts of alcohol than the body can tolerate.
The toxicologist Alejandro Mestre Barroso, from the Provincial Drug Observatory of Las Tunas, had already warned in September: “The adolescent feels such a high level of excitement that they don’t realize they are drunk”, and can reach 150 milligrams of alcohol per deciliter in the blood, posing a risk of alcoholic coma.
The authorities expressed particular concern about consumption among young people, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, individuals under 18 years old, and those with chronic illnesses such as hypertension, heart disease, or kidney disorders—groups for which the risks may pose a threat to life.
The national ban comes after an escalation of provincial measures. Days earlier, authorities in Mayabeque ordered the halt of sales of Shaka and other brands in the municipalities of San Nicolás and Güines, with stock confiscation and warnings of fines, seizure, and criminal prosecution for those who violated the directive.
Villa Clara had withdrawn the product from state commerce weeks earlier, although it remained available in private businesses for about 1,000 Cuban pesos.
Shaka was registered in Cuba in 2023 after presenting samples and technical documentation to the health authorities. The ban does not affect non-alcoholic energy drinks or traditional alcoholic beverages.
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