Energy Drinks in Schools: Cambodia Faces a Silent Diabetes Epidemic

In a country where youth make up 60% of the population, the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS) is reiterating its strict ban on the sale and distribution of energy drinks in schools, in response to a alarming rise in diabetes among children.​

This measure, driven by Prime Minister Hun Manet, aims to counter a consumer habit that threatens public health. In 2024, at least 700 children aged 5 to 10 were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, while the overall prevalence among adults (20-79 years) reaches 7.5%, affecting 723,200 people.​

Insidious Health Risks

These drinks, rich in sugar and caffeine, multiply the risks of cardiovascular, neurological, and metabolic issues, promoting obesity, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes.​

In Cambodia, 30% of consumers report negative side effects, and more than 50% of diabetics remain undiagnosed, worsening complications such as kidney disorders or disrupted sleep. Among youth, exposed through aggressive marketing, these products are accelerating an epidemic: diabetes prevalence has risen from 2.9% in 2011 to 7.5% in 2024, with annual healthcare costs estimated at $170.9 million USD.​

Recent Studies on the Rise of Diabetes in Children

No recent scientific studies (2023-2025) specifically measure the increase in diabetes among Cambodian children with detailed longitudinal data. Available reports mainly come from media and hospital sources, citing cumulative diagnoses rather than comprehensive epidemiological surveys.​

Kantha Bopha Hospital reports nearly 700 children aged 5 to 10 diagnosed with type 1 diabetes over the past three decades, with a marked increase in recent years. The IDF Diabetes Atlas (2025 edition) estimates 232 children and adolescents (0-19 years) with type 1 diabetes in 2024, without historical comparative data for Cambodia.​

Overall diabetes prevalence (20-79 years) has tripled, from 2.9% in 2011 to 7.5% in 2024, with 50% undiagnosed, but studies focus on adults. Initiatives like those from the World Diabetes Foundation target non-communicable disease prevention in children through school nutrition, without precise quantitative measures of youth incidence.​

Enforcement Challenges and Market Boom

The ban, reaffirmed in late November 2025, struggles to take hold despite clear directives: vendors persist around schools, and commercial contracts resist sporadic inspections.​

The energy drinks market is exploding, growing from $1.315 billion USD in 2023 to a projected $2.018 billion in 2029 (CAGR 7.4%), fueled by an active youth population and rising imports of 6%. The lack of strict regulation on sugar and health claims, combined with insufficient awareness and local resources, makes enforcement chaotic.​

Toward Healthy and Viable Alternatives

To counter this, prioritizing free drinking water in all schools is essential, as experts demand, avoiding dependence on sugary sodas. Promoting diluted local fruit juices, natural herbal teas, or low-sugar electrolyte drinks—with a recent 10% rise in "healthy" product sales—offers attractive options.​

Educational campaigns involving parents and local authorities, paired with strengthened penalties, could turn these "energy drink-free schools" into prevention models. This mobilization is all the more urgent as Cambodian youth represent a major share of the population, and pediatric diagnoses confirm a worrying rise in childhood diabetes—a problem still under-documented scientifically but very real on the ground. Hospital data and recommendations from international organizations highlight the need for coordinated action on multiple fronts to reverse this trend.​