Children cannot vote, but they can imbibe.

The lengths taken to regulate children’s beverage selections, however, are sometimes a stretch.

There’s now a legislative effort to restrict “energy drinks” from children. Rep. Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, believes these fashionable beverages are harmful, though many have less caffeine than a cup of coffee.

(Which is, the last time we’ve checked, available constantly in the State House, even when the café is closed. An honor system sign asks patrons to leave money in a cup.)

The snazzy marketing and slick advertising is the real problem with these products; as one beverage company executive rightly put it, controversy about energy drinks isn’t scientific, it’s emotional.

Kids are also smarter than given credit; they know how much kick is inside the can. That’s why they’re drinking it.

And while we don’t like the idea of kids slamming down caffeine-laden beverages either, singling energy drinks for prohibition to kids while leaving others – like coffee and soda – alone seems unfair.

So is Maine’s quizzical prohibition against cross-border wine sales, a point being made by Sen. Lynn Bromley, D-Cumberland County, who has submitted legislation to relax the ban. The rationale, according to law enforcement, is to prevent wine from getting into a minor’s hands from mail-order or Internet vendors.

Good heavens if they mix it with an energy drink.

Seriously, prohibiting direct-to-consumer wine sales from outside Maine doesn’t make sense. Given the expense and effort required, the amount of minors who would exploit this loophole for the pricey buzz of a fine Pinot Grigio or Cabernet Sauvignon is likely minimal.

Especially since illicit purchases can be tracked through credit cards or delivery manifests. The bill, however should prohibit the use of untraceable credit gift cards for wine purchases, as a further safeguard.

There’s little harm, in our mind, for letting Maine oenophiles seek specific vintages from faraway wineries, or send some home after several rosy-cheeked days in Napa Valley. The majority of us find it easier- and more practical – to shop for specials at Roopers or the local grocery store.

Parents must be vigilant, in case an enterprising underage drinker does circumvent the system. If law enforcement wishes to protect kids from acquiring booze, better targets are misguided souls who would furnish them drink, or who are grossly negligent in its keeping or handling. Leave the wine sellers be.

Government has a duty to protect children, but it’s a broad obligation. The recent Maine Kids Count analysis, for example, shows poverty rates rising among children, with burdensome energy costs and lower-than-average incomes causing social service agencies to see spiraling demand.

By working to improve the lives of all, lawmakers and government can make the lives of children better too.

Which, we’d say, is much more than a one-drink-at-a-time proposition.