Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Youth and Sports Heng Choon Narun said the initiative is aimed at curbing the risk of non-communicable diseases, especially diabetes, caused by the consumption of sugar and energy drinks.
“The consumption, distribution, sale and advertisement of all types of energy drinks in and around school campuses are strictly prohibited,” Xinhua News Agency reported.
He said that the ban is applicable to all public and private educational institutions as well as technical education institutions across the country.
Naroon advised all schools to remind students about the effects of consuming energy drinks when they assemble to salute the national flag.
He also directed schools to confiscate energy drinks from those selling them in and around schools and terminate their stall rental contracts if they violate the ban.
The ban came hours after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said the kingdom had reported an increase in diabetes, advising the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports to take measures to prevent the disease among students. is
“Some children consume up to three cans of sugar or energy drinks a day,” he said during a groundbreaking ceremony for the University of Health Sciences Hospital in Phnom Penh.
According to Health Minister Chiang Rao, diabetes was a leading cause of death in Cambodia.
He said that while communicable diseases were once the main cause of death in the country, now non-communicable diseases account for more than half of the deaths.
The minister said that the four main types of non-communicable diseases are heart disease, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory disease.