The Mexican state of Oaxaca has implemented an outright ban on the sale of sugary sodas and food products to children.

Shopkeepers and pushcart sellers can be fined or have their businesses closed for violations, and repeat offenders are subject to jail time. The proposal was first aired by lawmakers in Oaxaca, a mountainous, rural state in southern Mexico, about a year ago, but it gained new traction due to the pandemic crisis. Obesity is a comorbidity factor in COVID-19, and Mexico has one of the highest obesity rates in the world, particularly among children.

Sugary soda has long been a target of Mexican legislators and health professionals, partly because Mexicans drink so much of it. At 163 liters a year, their per-capita consumption is highest in the world.

The official designated to manage the coronavirus pandemic has called sugary soda “bottled poison.” Mexico passed a tax of about 5 cents per liter on soda in 2014, but the Oaxaca measure is the first outright ban.

The soft drink industry has responded by pointing out that Mexicans get less than 6% of their calories from soft drinks and accusing the government of passing the Oaxaca ban as a way to distract from its own shortcomings during the pandemic.