According to the circular, tea or coffee served during workshops, meetings and functions of government institutions should be made sugarless, and served with a sugar bowl for the consumers to sweeten their drinks according to their own preference.

The circular also states that the sugar bowl should display slogans calling for lower sugar consumption in a bid to prevent diabetes.

It further states that these measures should also be implemented in hotels, cafeterias and tea kiosks. It also calls to minimise the sales of foods high in salt, sugar and oil in schools.

The ministry states that the instructions in the circular should be put into action from Dec. 14, which marks the World Diabetes Day.

Meanwhile, speaking to media, Dr. Prasad Katulanda of the Sri Lanka Diabetes Federation says that research has revealed that a Sri Lankan roughly consumes 30kg of sugar each year.