Chechnya Bans Red Bull As Un-Islamic

The Chechen government has banned the sale of Red Bull and other similar energy drinks throughout the Russian Federation republic, reports The Guardian. Government spokespeople explained that energy drinks are intoxicating in an 'un-Islamic' way.

The decision to halt their sale puts energy drinks in the same category under Sharia law as alcohol; the Qu'ran calls for adherents not to ingest "intoxicants." It does not specify alcohol as the sole banned substance, so some Islamic authorities have extended the injunction to include mind-altering drugs as well. Red Bull is not often banned; it is legal for sale in conservative Iran, for example. But the leader of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, is known for his idiosyncratic and restrictive interpretation of Islamic law.

That said, this isn't the first time a country has banned Red Bull. It was briefly banned in much of Germany and in Taiwan, and was illegal in France for a whopping 12 years. All three bans were due to suspected side effects of additives.