MP Cummings Calls for Health Revolution: Ban Soft Drinks, Rethink Bottled Water 

By Val Matthias. Updated 9:51 a.m., Wednesday, February 11, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4). 

Minister of Health, Wellness, Environmental Health and Energy, Daniel Cummings, has urged Parliament to take bold steps in tackling non-communicable diseases, starting with a ban on soft drinks in primary schools. Speaking during the budget debates, Minister Cummings argued that refined sugar consumption among children is fuelling obesity and long term health complications.  

“Soft drinks with the level of refined sugar must not be allowed into the primary schools in particular. We must encourage our parents to give their children the abundance of fruits that we have here on a daily basis,” he told the parliament.  

Minister Cummings also challenged the widespread use of bottled water in schools, insisting that children should drink directly from taps where safe, rather than burdening parents with unnecessary expenses and contributing to plastic waste.  

Beyond beverages, the Minister called for a “revolution” in school feeding programmes. He proposed that prisoners, under supervision, grow vegetables and root crops to supply schools, reducing costs while improving nutrition. 

The Minister criticised the “business as usual” approach to healthcare, warning that rising cases of diabetes, hypertension, and dialysis patients are overwhelming the system. He pressed for community based education on monitoring blood sugar and blood pressure, alongside better access to prosthetics for amputees.  

“Healthcare is not about cutting off limbs due to high sugar and pressure. We must take non-communicable diseases seriously. Talk is cheap. It takes money to buy wine,” Cummings said, lamenting the lack of follow through on past health initiatives.  

His suggested intervention framed healthcare reform as a matter of national productivity and social responsibility, insisting that the country needs a “revolution of the mind” to confront lifestyle diseases and outdated public service practices.  

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