St Lucia suspends ban on sugar beverages

The ban on sugar-sweetened beverages in St Lucia’s schools has been lifted.

The ban on sugary drinks would have been an effective engagement, in 2023.

But on Friday, the Ministry of Education released a communique that said the suspension of the ban now allows for a broader stakeholder engagement and dissemination of information on the matter.

“Children will not be allowed to consume high sugar-sweetened drinks on school premises,” a Ministry statement said and only one teaspoon per one milliliter of liquid will be approved for consumption.

Meanwhile, the President of the National Principals’ Association(NPA), Valerie St. Helene-Henry, believes that enough preparation did not go into the implementation of the policy.

He said it seems that there was a flaw in the process before making the prohibition public.

“There is a need for more consultation, more guidance, and instruction. There will be repercussions. There will be challenges and there are lots of questions as to the way forward,”,” St Helene-Henry said.

“We have a lot of questions regarding who determines which one is and which one is not (sugary). We have no list of the drinks that probably parents should buy for their children,” she added.