The Health Minister for Trinidad and Tobago, Terrence  Deyalsingh, recently announced that the sale of soft drinks will be banned in schools beginning in April.

Like many caribbean countries, Trinidad and Tobacco has a relatively high rate of non-communicable diseases, including diabetes and obesity. Children as well as adults suffer from these diseases.

Social media comments to the news was mixed, with many people supporting the ban. One person mentioned that it’s a wise choice, and encouraging other islands to follow. However, some people expressed doubt about what the policy will actually achieve.

Many people are unaware of the links between drinking sugar-sweetened drinks and NCDs such as diabetes. However, research is increasingly showing that such policies to have an impact on health behaviors.

Hopefully, this will be the first step towards reducing NCDs among Trinidad youth.