Health groups urge parties to ban sugary drinks in schools and early learning centres

Nineteen public health organisations are calling for a nationwide ban on drinks containing more than 5g of sugar per 100ml in schools and early childhood education centres.

Nineteen public health organisations are urging political parties to back a nationwide ban on sugary drinks in schools and early childhood education centres, arguing that the policy would give children a healthier daily environment and help reduce pressure on the health system. The proposal, set out in the New Zealand Medical Journal by University of Auckland researcher Gerhard Sundborn and colleagues, would stop drinks with more than 5g of sugar per 100ml from being sold or served in those settings while still allowing water, unflavoured milk and zero-sugar alternatives.

Sundborn said sugary drinks are a major source of added sugar in children’s diets, with about a quarter of children’s sugar intake coming from those beverages. He argued that some single servings can contain up to 16 teaspoons of sugar and warned that regular consumption is linked to unhealthy weight gain, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and dental decay. He also said the evidence suggests sugary drinks can interfere with concentration, behaviour and learning, making schools and childcare centres an obvious place to act.

The call reflects a wider push from health and dental groups in New Zealand to cut children’s exposure to high-sugar drinks. The New Zealand Dental Association has backed measures such as warning labels, social marketing campaigns and water-only policies in schools and early learning services, while the Fizz advocacy group has campaigned for tougher restrictions on sugary drinks, borrowing some of the logic used in tobacco control. Health New Zealand also supports water and milk as the preferred drinks for children through its water-only schools programme.

Co-author Bodo Lang said the proposal had been designed to preserve choice rather than eliminate it, pointing to the continued availability of zero-sugar drinks and other healthier options. He said the debate had become more political than it needed to be, when the policy itself is straightforward and evidence-based. The authors argue that removing high-sugar drinks from schools and childcare centres would be one of the simplest steps available to improve children’s health, reduce preventable illness and support better learning outcomes.