Quintana Roo Parents Call for Regulation of Street Vendors Outside Schools

Chetumal, Quintana Roo — Nearly a year after a ban on sugary drinks, fried snacks, and high-calorie products took effect in Quintana Roo schools, parent associations report significant progress in combating childhood obesity and diabetes. However, they are now urging municipal authorities to regulate street vendors operating outside school gates, who they say undermine these efforts by selling junk food.

Héctor Santín Gómez, president of the group “Padres Aliados por la Educación,” emphasized that while schools have made strides in promoting healthier eating habits, the availability of unhealthy snacks from vendors just outside campuses poses a major challenge. “There are good advances inside the schools, with clear policies to improve student nutrition,” Santín Gómez said. “But the problem is outside, where minors have access to products that are not healthy. We consider it necessary for the city to intervene and regulate street vending near schools, because otherwise, all the monitoring and awareness-raising inside is pointless if students can just walk out and find everything they’re told not to consume.”

He clarified that the goal is not to prevent vendors from earning a livelihood, as many depend on this income to support their families. Instead, he proposed relocating them to areas farther from schools or encouraging them to sell balanced, healthy products. “It’s not about harming the vendors,” Santín Gómez added. “But we believe clear guidelines should be established to protect children’s health both inside and outside schools.”

Santín Gómez noted that school snack shops and cooperatives have shown willingness to offer healthy menu options, and although students initially struggled to adapt, they have now embraced this national strategy aimed at improving nutrition. He stressed that eliminating junk food from schools has been a difficult task, requiring continued coordination to ensure healthy educational environments.