Quebec eyes energy drink ban for under-16s after teen death

In January 2024, 15-year-old Zachary Miron died suddenly during a school ski trip in Quebec after consuming a can of Red Bull. A coroner's report attributed his death to an arrhythmia likely triggered by the interaction between the drink's caffeine and medication he was taking for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

His parents, David Miron and Veronica Martinez, have led a campaign to ban sales of energy drinks to those under 16, launching a petition on the Quebec government website in March that has garnered more than 31,000 signatures. The effort has drawn support from school boards, teachers, public health groups and junior sports leagues representing one million youths across the province.

"Young people are really at risk with this kind of easy access to these drinks," Martinez said after meeting Quebec Health Minister Sonia LeBel on April 1. "Zachary was in perfect health at the time of his death, and if it can happen to a boy like that, no one is safe."

The provincial government is responding to the pressure. LeBel stated that officials are consulting Quebec's public health director to accelerate measures and discussing options with pharmacists and other provinces....