Phnom Penh, Dec 10 (IANS): Cambodia on Tuesday banned energy drinks at schools as the Southeast Asian country has seen a significant rise in diabetes among young people.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Youth and Sport Hang Chuon Naron said the move was aimed at preventing the risk of non-communicable diseases, especially diabetes, which was caused by the consumption of sugary and energy drinks.

"The consumption, distribution, sale, and advertisement of all kinds of energy drinks in and around schools' campuses are strictly prohibited," he said in a directive, Xinhua news agency reported.

He said the prohibition was applied to all public and private educational institutions as well as technical education institutions across the country.

Naron advised all schools to remind students of the effects of having energy drinks when they gathered for the salutation of the national flag.

He also instructed the schools to seize energy drinks from sellers in and around the schools and terminate their stall rental contracts if they defied the ban.

The prohibition came hours after Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said the kingdom has reported an increase in diabetes, advising the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport to take action to prevent the disease among students.

"Some children consume up to three cans of sugary or energy drinks a day," he said during a groundbreaking ceremony for the University of Health Sciences Hospital in Phnom Penh.

According to Minister of Health Chheang Ra, diabetes was a major cause of mortality in Cambodia.

He said while infectious diseases were once the primary cause of death in the country, non-communicable diseases currently accounted for more than half of fatalities.

The minister said four main types of non-communicable diseases are heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory disease.