Korea bans coffee from school

Korean government decided to ban any coffee from school.

The Guardian: Caffeine hit: South Korea bans coffee from every school

In South Korea, any stores and vending machines and in the primary schools and junior high schools will refrain from selling coffee and caffeine-rich products by this September.

In Korea, many students are indulged in taking massive caffeine, according to the media. One of the reasons is to prepare for the examination. Also, some children like to play online games at midnight. The government seems to worry about the health risk due to excessive caffeine.

Indeed, caffeine's dependency and adverse effect on the sleep-wake cycle is often discussed just recently. Compared to the conventional theories, more researchers claim the harm of caffeine. Also in Japan, the first case of fatality because of taking massive caffeine was reported the last year.

However, I am doubtful that the Korean policy will successfully protect the health of students. After the regulation, coffee providers will deliver products with caffeine to students with other than the direct selling in school. And more importantly, students can get coffee as much as they want out of the school. Therefore, banning coffee in school will not be effective, I am afraid.

On the other hand, the effect of enlightenment for students with providing information that caffeine is not safe at all will be expected a little. This idea sounds odd, perhaps. But Japanese tend to consider that regulation makes people regulated through its spirit, not the rule itself. Korean resembles Japanese to some extent in their pattern of thought, I think.