Hospitals ban sugar in tea and coffee

Hospital will see a ban on sugar in tea and coffee due to possible health risks, health officials revealed this week.

The NHS in Wales is planning to stop the sale of hot drinks containing sugar from vending machines in its hospitals.

The ban is being put in place as sugar in tea or coffee offers no nutritional value, and can have a negative impact on dental health.

Chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter, said: ‘It is positive news that the NHS in Wales is looking into ways to improve dental health within hospitals.

‘Sugar does have a damaging impact on teeth – it can cause tooth decay. But it would be unreasonable to expect people to go to an extreme and cut all sugar out of their diet, the important thing is to try and cut down how often they have sugary foods and drinks.

The ban comes after schools were targeted by a health push by the Welsh Assembly. It was suggested children should not be allowed sugar in their tea during their break as part of a plan to tackle childhood obesity and poor health.

The Welsh Assembly, who recommends the sale of water and healthy snacks as an alternative, said: ‘Hospitals are visited by a very broad cross-section of society and, as such, the whole hospital environment should reflect the importance of healthy living.’

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