Dentists call for pudding and soft drink ban in schools

Dentists say puddings and soft drinks should be banned from school meals if the Scottish government wants to improve children’s health. 

The Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (RCSPG) is calling for excess sugar to be cut from school meals.

The faculty were consulted as part of a proposed regulation to combat high levels of childhood obesity in Scotland. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has previously said she wants to cut child obesity by half by 2030.

Nearly a third of two to 15 year olds in Scotland are at risk of being overweight and 14 per cent are at risk of being obese.

The faculty said that around a third of children suffer from dental decay. They proposed that puddings be replaced with soup or fruit and opposed the idea of including sugar-free drinks on the list of permitted drinks for secondary schools.

These drinks act as a gateway to sugar and cause dental erosion.

Earlier in the year Scotland’s education secretary, John Swinney, called for smoothies and fruit juices to be banned from school canteens due to their high sugar content.

The RCSPG has also called for action to ensure that all pupils have access to facilities in schools to brush their teeth after meals.

The proposed regulation to make school food and drink healthier is ongoing.

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